New Michelin tire aims to 'redefine all-season category'

GREENVILLE, S.C. — 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 July 22, Michelin gave an overview of the new tire's features before its official release Aug. 3.

Designed for all weather conditions, the CrossClimate2 was hailed by Mr. Garcin as "the most versatile" tire Michelin has developed in two decades.

With miles of testing, the tire maker's goal was to provide dealers with a tire that "makes a profound difference and also significantly raises the bar for safety, wet, dry and wear," he said.

The CrossClimate2 improves on the features of its predecessor, the CrossClimate+.

"The Michelin CrossClimate2 delivers up to one year of additional wear compared against four leading competitors' all-season tires," Mr. Garcin told tire dealers. "We believe this tire will make a difference for you and your customers who will be ready for any conditions they may face on the road."

Anton Thomas, vice president of product performance, added that "CrossClimate2 is Michelin's next generation of all-season tires, engineered and tested for all kinds of weather, except the deepest winter conditions."

The company touted the tagline "Grips to the last stop" because even in wet conditions, CrossClimate2 tires worn down to 3/32nd-inch in tread depth still demonstrated shorter braking distances versus 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," Mr. Thomas said.

For customers in the Snow Belt, the tire will provide "substantial snow mobility upgrade compared to what you've been experiencing," he added.

The tire also features a 60,000-mile treadwear warranty.

"This is the most tested tire Michelin has presented in more than 20 years," Mr. Thomas said. "The Michelin CrossClimate2 outlasted four leading competitors' tires by 15,000 miles on a treadwear test. That's up to one additional year of tread life."

Acknowledging the tire has an undisclosed premium price, Mr. Thomas said: "I think when drivers understand the Swiss Army knife of performances that are packed in this tire, they are going to see it as an incredible value.

"For consumers, it's a small investment up front for much longer peace of mind and from a sustainability perspective, the tire is designed to deliver the same performances even at the end of life. There's no need to waste your money or precious resources on changing tires prematurely because of safety or weather conditions."

The tire initially will be available in 25 sizes; by the first quarter of 2021, the tire will have about 80% coverage for passenger cars, CUV/SUV and light trucks, the company said.