Michelin’s CrossClimate+ tyre is ‘exemplary’

MICHELIN’S CrossClimate+ tyre has been heralded as ‘exemplary’ after finishing first in rigorous tyre tests carried out in Germany by leading German automobile magazine, Auto Bild.

Staging what the publication believes are the first ever published in-depth tests comparing the performance of different ranges of tyre as they wear, It pitted CrossClimate+ – a summer tyre with winter capabilities – against all-season fitments from five competitors at three separate tread depths of 8mm (new), 4mm and 2mm.

Some in the tyre industry recommend that tyres should be changed when they have 3mm – or even 4mm – of tread remaining, but Michelin believes this is unnecessary, costly to motorists and the fleet sector, and harmful to the environment.

Following the tests, Auto Bild said it was ‘able to rebut the general request to change tyres at half tread depth by referring to the compelling performance of the Michelin tyre’.

In the snow traction test, the German magazine found the Michelin tyres delivered ‘constant grip’ while in the winter slalom they lost ‘almost no performance with decreasing tread’.

And when it came to winter handling, ‘only the Michelin delivers safe handling with two millimetres of tread’.

Commenting on the wet braking results, Auto Bild testers said: ‘It’s remarkable that the two-millimetre Michelin brakes better than most candidates with 4mm remaining tread.’

Auto Bild’s testing team said: ‘CrossClimate+ is an exemplary all-rounder with balanced performance and minimal loss of performance across its entire lifecycle.’