Just like humans, cars also need regular maintenance. There's a checklist of items including tires, fluids, and engine oil to ensure safe driving. The most vital among them for engine maintenance is engine oil, also known as lubricant.
Formulated by blending base oil and additives, lubricants reduce engine wear and improve fuel efficiency by lowering friction and generation of heat in machinery, among other functions. Not only do they directly affect engine performance and lifespan but they also come in various formulations and types offering differing results. That's why it’s crucial to choose the right engine oil for your vehicle. Here are a few pointers to help you make the right choice.
Lubricants are typically composed of 80 per cent base oil and 20 per cent additives. When the proportion of high-quality base oil in a lubricant is significantly higher, the performance of an engine using that lubricant is bound to be exceptional.
The base oil is categorised into five grades based on viscosity index, sulphur content, and saturation. As you move to Group V, the viscosity index increases, and sulphur content decreases. In terms of good-quality base oils, Group IV is considered to be greater than Group III, which is greater than Group II, which in turn is greater than Group I.
Among these, Group III is a high-quality base oil used mainly for premium automotive engine oil, capable of meeting environmental regulations. SK enmove is the world's leading producer of Group III products. Commanding a market share of 40 per cent, it has production facilities worldwide, including the Ulsan factory in Korea, as well as factories in Spain and Indonesia.. This base oil is exported to more than 60 countries worldwide.
Premium lubricant SK ZIC is formulated with Yubase, a Group III base oil with a viscosity index of 120 or higher. As a result, ZIC boasts superior viscosity retention compared to engine oils artificially enhanced with viscosity index modifier, which are often used in lower-quality base oils.
ZIC, with its exceptional viscosity retention capability, offers the following advantages.
By using Yubase with no impurities, ZIC creates an environment where additives can perform optimally. Moreover, its excellent viscosity retention provides high fluidity at low temperatures and forms a strong oil film inside the cylinder even at high temperatures, ensuring comprehensive engine protection.
The superior oxidative stability and high viscosity index of Yubase enable ZIC to maintain its oil performance for extended periods, without easy degradation.
ZIC has minimal lightweight components that easily evaporate in high-temperature engine conditions. With low oil consumption, the need for oil top-up is reduced, leading to cost-saving benefits.
We all know that regular maintenance from day one is important to protect our vehicle's engines and enhance their performance. However, have you thought about the importance of a car manufacturer's approval on the type of lubricant you use?
When changing lubricants, the easy way to ensure optimal performance is to check if the product has been approved by prominent car brands.
Due to increasing environmental regulations primarily in Europe and the US, car manufacturers are making relentless efforts to develop engine technologies that can comply with regulations and win the fuel efficiency competition.
During this process, car manufacturers demand strict engine oil quality standards because they recognise that lubricants have a significant impact on engine performance. Only lubricants that pass rigorous testing are granted approvals by car brands.
Take, for instance, SK ZIC's premium engine oils such as Top and X9. These products, as indicated on their labels, are approved by various car manufacturers including Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Porsche, Renault, Volkswagen, and Ford.
Engine oils approved by major manufacturers signify that they have met the strict quality standards required by each manufacturer. They provide high protection to your car's engine and ensure its optimum performance.
When choosing a car lubricant, you might have come across terms such as fully synthetic, synthetic, or mineral. Do you know their exact meanings?
Generally, fully synthetic products offer the highest performance. To be labelled as fully synthetic, the engine oil must use base oil classified as Group Ⅲ or higher, which is considered the premium grade base oil.
Group III base oils utilise the latest manufacturing technology to completely remove impurities that affect engine oil performance. They are stable under heat oxidation, resulting in minimal viscosity decrease and sludge formation at high temperatures. As a result, they can extend the lifespan of both engine oil and the engine itself, enhancing driving performance.
The leading brand in the global Group III base oil market is Yubase, and SK is the company behind it, manufacturing and supplying Yubase worldwide.
SK ZIC's premium products are developed and produced using Yubase base oil, enabling them to deliver top-notch engine performance. This formulation can significantly contribute to maximising engine performance and longevity.
Do you know that you can significantly improve fuel efficiency and even reduce carbon emissions by just using premium engine oil?
Car manufacturers have been investing astronomical amounts in their efforts to improve fuel efficiency. They have realised that lowering the viscosity of engine oil can have a significant impact on fuel economy. Because this reduced viscosity minimises the resistance between moving engine parts.
As a result, there is an ongoing trend of reducing engine oil viscosity and more and more car brands are participating in this trend. Some car manufacturers are even using viscosities as low as 0W-16 or 0W-8.
Do low-viscosity lubricants compromise engine protection performance? To counter potential engine wear issues, cutting-edge engine coating technologies are being incorporated.
For the development of such engine oils, Group III base oil is essential to be used due to its superior properties.
For example, ZIC's premium engine oils such as Top, X9, and X7, which are developed based on the world's leading Group III base oil Yubase, are designed for superior fuel efficiency with engine protection properties as well.
Not only is South Korea one of the most developed countries in the petrochemical industry but its cars are also easily found on the roads, which reflects the country's capabilities in automobile manufacturing, leading to the natural development of related industries. R&D and production technology related to lubricants have seen significant development over the decades.
SK's Ulsan Complex in Korea is one of the world’s largest refinery and petrochemical plants, which has been producing and exporting various products around the world for decades.
SK ZIC is also 100 per cent produced in SK's plant in Ulsan and has been supplying products stably to dozens of countries around the world. Furthermore, in recognition of its quality, SK ZIC supplies lubricants directly to factories of various premium car brands worldwide.
SK ZIC has maintained its position as the number one brand in South Korea for 25 years. It has solidified its position as the country's national representative engine oil, achieving the top rank for 25 consecutive years in the Brand Power Index (K-BPI) survey conducted by the Korea Management Association Consulting (KMAC). It has also obtained stringent quality approvals from prestigious brands like Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, and BMW.
Of late, SK ZIC has been actively expanding its business in Russia, China, South East Asia, and the Middle East.
You can find the number one premium engine oil, SK ZIC, from Korea at shops in the UAE.
For more information, visit www.skzic.ae