Michelin has unveiled a new tire. Compared to the previous model, the number of studs has been reduced by 5% (due to the new environmental standard coming into force in 2013 in Sweden and Finland), which does not reduce the braking performance of the tire at all.

Despite the reduction in the number of studs, the Durastud System technology has reduced the braking distance by 6%. In addition, thanks to Full Active Tread technology, it was possible to improve by 15% acceleration dynamics. Moreover, the GREEN X badge can be found on the sidewall of the tire, which indicates the high energy efficiency of the tire.

What is Durastud System?

Technology that has increased braking qualities tires, based on three "pillars":
- specially designed studs with a carbide insert, which, due to their shape, are securely attached to the tread;
- special distribution of spikes;
- Michelin studding technique.

Full Active Thread

Full Active Tread - tread pattern technology. Its essence lies in the fact that a new geometry of the lamellas is used, while the lamellas themselves have an increased density and a length increased by 6%. In addition, the length of the tread edges is 64% longer than in the previous model.

Features of the Michelin Latitude X-Ice North Xin2 tire

- the number of spikes reduced to 50 pieces per meter of circumference;
- the use of silica rubber compound reduced rolling resistance by 8%;
— focus on severe winter conditions;
— reduced fuel consumption.

Thanks to all the qualities listed above, tires Michelin Latitude X Ice North 2 give the driver confidence when driving heavy four-wheel drive vehicles and crossovers in harsh conditions Russian winters. The new tread pattern provides better grip on ice and snow, and new technology distribution of studs, among other things, significantly reduces wear on the roadway.

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The share of crossovers and SUVs in Russian market is growing year by year, so tire manufacturers are paying more and more attention to specialized off-road lines. In particular, Michelin has released new Latitude X-Ice North 2+ spikes to replace the well-deserved tire. The plus sign in the index hints that it is not complete new model, and the modernization of the second generation tire, which appeared in 2011. The tread pattern, the number and shape of the spikes were left unchanged. All innovations are hidden inside.

Studs are traditionally made in two layers: a hard inner layer holds the spikes, and a soft outer layer provides the necessary grip. In the Michelin Latitude X-Ice North 2+ tire, the layer boundary was made not even, but convex at the points where the spikes were attached, locally increasing the thickness of the lower layer - the French called this technology Catamaran. Such a protrusion reduces the deformation of the tread at the point of attachment of the stud, allows you to more securely fix it.

The rubber compound has also been updated. The inner base is made of temperature sensitive ThermoActive Tread Compound 2.0, which softens in warm weather to allow the stud to be pressed into the tread on pavement, and hardens in cold weather to keep the stud protruding on ice. For the outer tread layer, a FleX-Ice 2.0 compound with a high content of silica (silicon dioxide) was used, modified for heavy off-road vehicles - taking into account the high loads on the tire. Changes in the composition should improve braking properties on slippery surfaces, improve acceleration dynamics and increase the life of the studs.

It was possible to test new tires in Karelia. SUVs and BMW X5 rolled out onto the snowy track, shod in old tires and new ones. The difference turned out to be very noticeable: on the "plus" it is more willing to screw into the turn when gas is applied and plows less. And Cayenne did not like potholes - a car jumping on them had to be caught even with the softest suspension setting, so there was no time for nuances.

Then the Audi Q5 took over, where we evaluated braking and handling on ice; in these tests, the North 2+ competed not only with its predecessor model, but also with the Nokian Hakkapeliitta 8 studs. Stopping distance measurements showed that the “plus” bites into the ice more violently than the old tire, and parity has been established with Hakkapelita. Not bad!

X-Ice North 2+ tires are designed for both budget crossovers and heavy premium models, so the range of sizes is wide - from 215/70 R16 to 275/40 R21.

Winter tire for SUVs and crossovers Michelin Latitude X-Ice Xi2 + was developed on the basis of the model of the same name. In fact, this is its modernized version, which differs from the "original" next to it. design features. Most of the changes, in one way or another, were aimed at improving grip on slippery roads from water, snow and ice, as well as improving fuel efficiency and durability. It is for these performance characteristics this model noticeably outperforms its predecessor, as well as most of its direct competitors.

Optimized Flex Ice compound

Despite the absence of spikes, this model is characterized by very high performance on icy and snowy surfaces. For this, French tire manufacturers used several advanced technologies at once.

First of all, it is optimized for operation in winter conditions rubber compound, which in this version is called Flex Ice. More than half of its composition is represented by silicon-containing compounds. Their peculiarity lies in the fact that they low temperatures provide the tread with excellent elasticity, which gives it increased grip in cold weather conditions. In addition, it should be noted the presence of special polymers in the composition. Their functionality is no less important, because thanks to these components, the uniformity of the rubber mixture is ensured and, at the same time, the stability of the grip properties. In addition, polymers improve the resistance of the rubber compound to high temperatures, which allows tires to be used at temperatures above 0 degrees Celsius without fear for the integrity of the tread. In this regard, it is impossible not to note the significant width of the tread. Due to the large contact patch area, this tire demonstrates good grip on dry paved roads, as well as excellent stability when maneuvering and cornering.

Excellent traction performance on all winter roads

The absence of spikes does not prevent this model from being tenacious and stable on slippery roads from ice and rolled snow. This is mainly the merit of several thousand lamellas, which the marketers of the French manufacturer called Z-Cross. This is due to the three-dimensional design of their walls. With its help, the lamellas are fixed in the open position upon contact with the road surface. Since all the coupling edges formed by them are located at right or small angles relative to the direction of movement, they are most effective when accelerating and braking. In such driving modes, the clutch is stable and reliable, largely due to the fact that numerous irregularities on the walls of the lamellas, when they are opened, limit the mobility of the blocks, thereby increasing their rigidity.

Another factor that determines the reliable and confident demeanor on ice, are special micropumps. They are located along the edges of the blocks of the shoulder zones. Their functional purpose is to dry that part of the road surface with which the tread is in contact. This solution significantly increases the grip of the tire on ice.

Durability and comfort

In addition to traction on winter roads Special attention when creating it was given to ensuring advanced level comfort while driving. For these purposes, Comfort Control technology was applied. Its essence lies in the use of three-dimensional computerized modeling when creating a tread pattern. Thanks to him, it was possible to choose such a combination of location, shape and size of the tread elements, in which they generate a minimum of noise and vibration. The second component of the Comfort Control technology is high precision and workmanship. In addition to increasing the level of acoustic comfort, this significantly improves the life span of the tyre.

Key features of the Michelin Latitude X-Ice Xi2+ tire

- Advanced Flex Ice compound provides the tread with flexibility at low temperatures and integrity during operation during thaws and driving at high speed, reducing the level of heating;
- excellent efficiency during acceleration and braking on any slippery surfaces, thanks to several thousand transversely arranged sipes;
— excellent handling on asphalt it is provided due to the three-dimensional design of the walls of the lamellas, which limit the mobility of the tread blocks;
— improved traction on ice due to special micropumps located along the edges of the blocks of the shoulder zones;
- Comfort Control technology, which includes computerized three-dimensional modeling and high precision, as well as quality in manufacturing, provides a high level of acoustic comfort with minimized noise and vibration.

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Winter, snow drifts, the road is covered with a thick layer of snow and the traces that it left previous car immediately swept up by a blizzard. And under a thick layer of snow, an insidious ice crust is hidden, creating a particular danger for many motorists. But not for those in front winter season managed to purchase high-tech tires Michelin Latitude X-Ice North 2, designed for all types of off-road vehicles.

Complex for a successful ride

The directional tread pattern makes it easy to free the working surface of the wheel from sticking snow. Larger contact patch for improved traction. The structure of the sipes makes both acceleration and braking comfortable on a frozen road. The presence of spikes ... And the presence of spikes, the creation of which the engineers of the French company Michelin approached with special design passion, makes driving on any extreme winter roads a comfortable and safe activity even for inexperienced drivers. The reinforced carcass protects the tire from any mechanical damage caused by unexpected surprises that a snowy or wet road can hide.

Protector functionality

Due to the fact that the number of inactive tread zones was minimized, the manufacturer managed to maximize the contact patch of the wheel with the surface. Now armed with Michelin Latitude X-Ice North 2 tires, the car stands steadily on four wheels during any maneuvers, turns or braking. The tread pattern is characterized by a large number of acute-angled blocks, each of which forms an additional grip on the surface. This functional advantage will be especially useful in deep or “packed” snow.

transverse teeth

Between the main wide V-shaped grooves, in addition to a large number of sipes, there are transverse teeth designed to provide additional reliability when braking and entering turns. Their presence is an additional number of active tread lugs, due to which the efficiency of interaction between the wheel and snow is optimized. The slats in the Latitude X-Ice North 2 are provided with special technology StabiliGrip.

Special spike technology

The stud technology used in the production of the Michelin Latitude X-Ice North tire is called Michelin Durastud. Its use made it possible to prolong the life of the spike, as well as improve the behavior of the car in icy conditions. In general, Michelin Durastud is a whole range of conditions that are observed when a tire is studded. First, the spike has a total length of 11mm. At 9.8 mm, it is firmly fixed in the tread surface. The working protrusion of the spike is 1.2mm. Secondly, the number of spikes on the tread, although it depends on the size of the tire, still remains optimal so that driving even on ice covered with a thin water film is comfortable, safe and confident.

Michelin LATITUDE X-ICE North-2+ - high performance winter tire

Winter tires Michelin LATITUDE X-ICE North-2+ entered the tire market in 2011, but the demand for them has not decreased to this day. The popularity of this tire model is due, first of all, to a reasonable ratio of cost and performance. The product has many advantages over the closest analogues. First, the tires are equipped with a V-tread tread, which guarantees confident flotation on slippery surfaces. Secondly, for the production of this tire, a high-quality compound is used that does not harden in severe frosts.

Functional protector

Working surface winter tires Michelin Latitude X Ice North 2+ consists of the following elements:

• Hard rubber blocks have sharp edges with which the tire effectively engages with slippery road, provide high security driving.
• Central rib arrow-shaped stabilizes exchange rate stability cars on a straight road. It also gives the rubber higher acceleration and braking characteristics.

• Shoulder zones, consisting of massive blocks, are designed to increase the controllability of the car when maneuvering. Thanks to them, the car instantly responds to steering commands.
• Dense grid of lamellas wavy shape improves tire grip on snowy and icy roads.

Performance characteristics

Tires of this series show high performance under the most difficult driving conditions. They are characterized by the following properties:

• Comfortable ride. Elastic compound with a high content of silica effectively smooths out any unevenness in the asphalt. Therefore, they do not penetrate into the salon strong vibrations and loud noises.
• Hydroplaning resistance. A complex drainage system, presented in the form of multidirectional grooves, instantly displaces dirt and slush from under the wheels.
• impact resistance. AT bus LATITUDE X-ICE North-2+ uses a rigid frame that can absorb the energy of strong impacts. Therefore, the tire is not damaged when driving on low-quality asphalt.

Multi-row studding system

On the tread blocks of the winter tire, metal spikes with heat-strengthened tips are fixed. They are deeply cut into the rubber of the tire, so they do not loosen or fall off the tread while driving. During braking, the studs literally cut into the ice, making the braking distance much shorter than with non-studded tyres.

Synonyms: Michelin Latitude X Ice North 2+, Michelin Latitude X Ice North 2+, Michelin LATITUDE X-ICE North-2+, Michelin X Ice North 2+, Michelin X-ICE North-2+, Michelin X Ice North 2+.