Winter is approaching and with the colder season comes the time of tire change. It is indeed important to prepare for the coldest temperatures by adapting the tires of our vehicles to them. Over the years, however, the market for gomme all season, which offer optimal performance in both summer and winter. And the new proposal of Michelin seems to be really an exceptional solution in this sense, which can make it possible to avoid changing tires when temperatures drop. We tested them these days and we were really impressed.
Michelin launches its new all season tires
The company has long been one of the fundamental realities of its sector and in view of the winter season 2022/23 has decided to broaden its offer. By intercepting the market trends that signal an increasing interest in all-season tires, it will launch two new products precisely for this segment. We are talking about the Michelin CrossClimate 2 SUV e CrossClimate Camping. Added to these are new dimensions for the other models on the market.
The choice between holding all year round gomme all season and changing tires every six months or so is theoretically pretty straightforward. If you regularly frequent environments with severe winter driving conditions (such as snowy terrain or even simply rather cold temperatures) it is better to opt for winter tires, such as those of the range Alpin by Michelin. If, on the other hand, situations of this kind occur only occasionally, a solution for all seasons can be evaluated.
Antonio Di Benedetto tells us about the new Michelin range for 2022/23
And we use the term “evaluate” not by chance. Choosing an all season tire involves giving up high-level performance, especially in the winter period, and this was particularly true with the first models of this segment. But the speech changes with the CrossClimate line, as we will see below.
Thanks to a care in development of the tire, in terms of compound and tread pattern, in fact these models guarantee excellent results in all conditions. To certify it, independent test which highlight the improved performance compared to the past and previously, especially in conditions of wear of the rubber. And even if it’s not (at the moment) an official parameter, it confirms it our first-hand proof.
How did Michelin’s all-season tires perform?
As we mentioned at the beginning, in fact, we had the opportunity to try the Michelin CrossClimate 2 SUV in Porsche Experience Center of Franciacorta. In one morning we were able to verify its potential both on the road and in areas that they recreated particularly difficult conditions. And the results were truly impressive.
We started with a tour of thelow grip area of the center, which reproduces a snowy / frozen ground. After that we dedicated ourselves tooff road, in conditions aggravated by the rain that preceded our test drive. Finally we grappled with extreme driving situations such as slalom and avoiding sudden obstacles, and then closing with a city route around the Porsche Experience Center.
The response was decidedly extraordinary, even beyond expectations. Michelin’s all-season tires performed optimally in all conditions, despite our attempts to put them in trouble. Certainly a help came from the cars used for the test, particularly ready to face difficult conditions, but this does not detract how much these tires convinced us.
Between ice and mud, never a smudge
In particular, we were amazed by the results obtained in the most difficult paper tests. Having recently tackled the low-grip area of the Porsche Experience Center, we are well aware of how demanding the conditions it reproduces are. Yet despite the effort, the tires have shown one truly exceptional estate.
The same can be said of the off road section. We were able to advance in the deep mud (as evidenced by the photo above, taken at the very end of the test section) in complete tranquility. The roughness of the terrain did not hinder us for a second and we went on without ever slowing down. More than on the mud it felt like driving on a simple dirt road.
The most exciting moment was probably when we faced a slope particularly stiff, downhill, always on unpaved ground. There was some reasonable fear in the first moments, but immediately we could see how the tires had a perfect grip, to make us proceed in complete safety.
All-season tires that seem almost winter
In short, the response on these Michelin CrossClimate 2 SUVs is absolutely positive, indeed enthusiastic. Tested in difficult environmental conditions (and with much less prudent driving styles than we would have outside a controlled situation like this) we almost never managed to put them in difficulty. There was a few small burrs but we really had to work hard to make them yield.
So if you are about to face the dreaded tire change and are thinking of orienting yourself on an all-season solution, this is an absolutely recommended choice. The Michelin CrossClimate 2 SUV they could probably also adapt to those who often frequent mountain areas. And if for extreme conditions it is still worthwhile to focus on winter tires, for those who drive especially in the city it is no longer necessary. The dream of the tire train to keep all year round (safely) it is now reality.