Michelin Alpin 5, winter tyres mean greater safety

Spain is not a country where winter tyres are traditionally used much; in fact, in many cases they are a real unknown to most drivers. Today we want to take a closer look at winter tyres and specifically at Michelin’s new launch.

Michelin Alpin 5 is the new winter tyre from the French brand, which will be available for the coming winter season. But beyond getting to know the tyre in depth, we want to analyse why it is advisable to use winter tyres, since our safety in winter depends on them.

Winter tyres that are effective below 7 degrees

Seven degrees was the average temperature in Spain during last November. In many Spanish cities it is common for temperatures to drop to this level in winter, and that is where it makes sense to use a winter tyre.

Summer tyres are not effective below seven degrees and lose performance when braking in an emergency or when gripping the road safely. As an example, going from 80 to 0 km/h with a winter tyre below 7 degrees, the braking distance is reduced by 4 metres.

Another advantage of winter tyres is that they are very effective on dry roads, in water and in snow. In areas where it snows they are a guarantee of traction and, above all, of safety when driving on snowy roads or in areas where, besides the cold, it rains heavily.

Another fact to bear in mind is that in winter, 1 in every 3 accidents happens on wet and cold roads. It is precisely in these conditions that summer tyres lose effectiveness, as the rubber hardens and offers less grip.

Summer tyres vs winter tyres

In Sierra Nevada we had the chance to test first-hand how a car behaves with two different sets of tyres. On one side, summer tyres, and on the other, winter tyres. In total there were four tests: a slalom on wet ground, braking on wet ground, cornering on wet ground, and driving on a surface with remnants of snow (like the kind of road we might find in winter in mountain areas).

The difference, especially on water and snow, is incredible. On snow, with winter tyres we always have control over steering and the car goes exactly where we tell it to, whereas with summer tyres we simply cannot control the car.

On wet ground the difference is also noticeable, since winter tyres offer better grip at low temperatures on wet surfaces (specifically, we tested at 1 degree).

Michelin Alpin 5

The new Michelin Alpin 5 will be available this year for the autumn/winter season from October. It is part of the Alpin range, which includes the Latitude Alpin for 4x4s, the Pilot Alpin for sports cars, and the Alpin 5 for the rest of models.

Behind this tyre there is a great deal of research and technology aimed at improving on the results of the Alpin 4 and being more effective on dry roads, snow and wet roads alike. The standout is the new component called Heliocompound, which forms the rubber, along with the sunflower-oil rubber compound that provides good grip at low temperatures.

The Alpin 5 features a new tread pattern, with more blocks and more sipes to grip the asphalt. It also increases the proportion of tread and has a zipper effect to bite into snow and evacuate water.

Compared with the Alpin 4, it has improved traction on ice, in aquaplaning and in snow. It is now more effective in these situations, without forgetting good dry grip at low temperatures.