Michelin Primacy 4: the tyre that lasts longest without losing performance

The Michelin passenger car tyre range welcomes the new Michelin Primacy 4, replacing the previous Primacy 3. It not only improves grip and lasts longer, it also boasts maintaining performance right up to the wear limit.

The new Michelin Primacy 4 is an evolution of the previous Primacy 3, which it replaces. Technically it may not be a revolution like the Michelin CrossClimate was, the only summer tyre on the market with winter certification, and which surprised with its excellent performance on snow.

However, Michelin announces an important new feature in the Primacy 4, which is the one reflected in the advertising slogan associated with the new tyre: safety from the first to the last kilometre. What does this mean? That the French brand has worked on the compounds and the tread design so that the tyre’s performance does not decline with mileage. Logically, this is not something we can verify in a first test or initial contact with the tyres. But we will keep an eye on it in future tests, as well as on the opinions of users who fit the new Primacy 4 to their cars.

According to Michelin, using tyres up to their legal limit could save up to 126 million tyres consumed in Europe. This figure represents an additional expense for users who replace their tyres early, which would reach 7 billion euros, with an increase of 9 million tonnes of CO2 emissions into the atmosphere. Of course, it is not advisable to use tyres up to their legal wear limit if they are not quality tyres that guarantee you will not lose safety.

More technology to last more kilometres

How can a tyre provide the user with the necessary grip and even a high level of water evacuation capacity when the tread is already close to the wear limit? Michelin calls the technology EVERGRIP, and it rests on two fundamental pillars. The first is high-performance rubber compounds of new generation, like those debuted on the Primacy 4. No manufacturer discloses formulations or provides data on the compounds used. It is as secret as the “Coca-Cola formula”. But they are there, and the gain seems clear, as we will see later.

The second key point is a tread design optimised with more rectangular grooves compared to the Primacy 3. This allows, when the tyre wears down, up to 22 per cent more groove capacity to evacuate water compared with its predecessor. You can see it in this video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=27&v=gbhtDfJAerM

That is what Michelin says, but it is backed up by tests from certification bodies such as TÜV SÜD and DEKRA: thanks to this technology, the new Primacy 4 lasts up to 18,000 km longer on average than its most direct competitors. And in a wet braking test with a deceleration from 80 to 20 km/h, they need almost 1 metre less when new… and 2.8 metres less when used!

The aforementioned tests were carried out at Michelin’s request in July 2017 (the Michelin Primacy 4 required three years of development) and, among the competitors, using size 205/55 R16 91V on a Volkswagen Golf, the Continental Premium Contact 5, Dunlop BlueResponse, GoodYear Efficient Grip Performance and Pirelli Cinturato P7 Blue were included.

Michelin Primacy 4: range and prices

Another novelty of the new MICHELIN Primacy 4 tyre is related precisely to wear. The new indicator that signals the end of the tyre’s useful life is now easier to locate, thanks to the MICHELIN marking in the grooves and the indicators on the shoulders of the tread.

The Michelin Primacy 4 range now includes 64 sizes available, for rims from 16 to 18 inches, and speed ratings from H (210 km/h) to Y (300 km/h). Prices range from 80 to 200 euros, depending on size and specifications. For reference, the price of the Michelin Primacy 4 in a popular size such as 205/55-16 V is 97 euros, while a 215/50-17 W is priced at 153 euros. All prices for the available sizes can be checked on the Michelin website for the Primacy 4.