Michelin claims all-season tire advance

Greenville, South Carolina – Michelin North America Inc. has introduced the next-generation CrossClimate2 tire that chairman and president Alexis Garcin claimed "will completely redefine the all-season category."

During a virtual presentation for tire dealers and the media 22 July, Michelin gave an overview of the new tire's features before its official release 3 Aug.

Designed for all weather conditions, the tire, which is an upgrade from its predecessor CrossClimate+ was described by Garcin as "the most versatile" tire Michelin has developed in two decades.

According to the official, the tire delivers up to one year of additional wear compared against "four leading competitors' all-season tires." 

The tire features include:

•    V-formation tread design with grooves that evacuate water, snow and debris;
•    a directional tread design for rigidity to protect against wear;
•    thermo-adaptive tread compound that allows the tire to adapt to changing road conditions in dry, wet or snowy conditions;
•    deeper tread for wet and light snow traction and longer mileage;
•    3D locking sipes that tie the tread blocks together in dry conditions for sporty handling; and
•    blocks, angles and tread sculpture, called V Ramps, to provide stopping power and minimize noise via piano noise reduction tuning.

Michelin officials claimed that in their testing, CrossClimate2 outperformed competitors' tires at new, half-worn and end-of-life tread depths.

"Even when worn, the Michelin CrossClimate2 outperforms four leading competitors' all-season tires with up to 31% better snow traction,"  said Anton Thomas, VP of product performance.

The tire, Thomas said, outlasted the unnamed competitor tires by 15,000 miles on a treadwear test.

Featuring a 60,000-mile treadwear warranty, the tire will be available in 25 sizes initially.