New Michelin CrossClimate 3: the definitive All Season tyre, now also available in a Sport version for sports cars

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Ten years have already passed since the first generation of the Michelin CrossClimate, Michelin’s first All Season tyre, went on sale. Since then, the range has continued to grow, with versions for SUVs and even for motorhomes, with the CrossClimate Camping. The range has never stopped evolving, first with the CrossClimate+, and later with the CrossClimate 2. And now comes the logical next step, the new Michelin CrossClimate 3, which brings some interesting innovations.

At this point we won’t go into detail on the features and advantages of All Season tyres. You already know they combine the strengths of summer and winter tyres, so you can use them all year round, and they are approved for safe driving on snow without needing chains. For what it’s worth, I, as a user of Michelin CrossClimate+ tyres on my own car, which are already approaching 50,000 km and still have useful life left, have no doubt: the next ones will be the CrossClimate 3 when it’s time to change.

What do the new Michelin CrossClimate 3 bring?

Basically, 15% longer life compared with the previous generation and wet performance improved by 4%, earning a B rating in this category on the European label. A rolling resistance optimisation is also announced, although in this case it is not quantified as a percentage. Everything else stays the same: the 3PMSF marking that certifies their winter performance and makes them a legal alternative to chains, and compatibility with vehicles with any type of propulsion system, whether combustion engine, hybrid or electric. The new CrossClimate 3 will be available from June, in 63 sizes including options for wheels from 16 to 22 inches.

But a very interesting novelty is the addition to the range of the Michelin CrossClimate 3 Sport, the All Season tyre for sports cars. In this way Michelin responds to the demand from customers of this type of vehicle, who had no option to choose an All Season tyre. And, in parallel with the growing demand for All Season tyres, demand for tyres of 18 inches or larger for sporty vehicles is also growing strongly.

The Michelin CrossClimate 3 Sport use up to four different technologies to deliver precise handling in both dry and wet conditions, maintaining 3PMSF approval and the highest A rating for wet grip across the whole range, which initially includes 29 sizes for wheels from 18 to 21 inches, and will be progressively expanded. Among these technologies, the following stand out:

• Dynamic Response, consisting of a hybrid belt with aramid and nylon threads that ensures an optimal response of the steering to the road.
• V-SHAPE, with a progressive section of the tread’s transverse grooves that widens from the centre towards the shoulders to increase water evacuation capacity.
• Thermal Adaptive Tread Compound 2.0, which provides versatility thanks to an innovative compound that adapts to dry, wet or snowy conditions
• Piano Acoustic Tuning, with tread blocks designed to minimise rolling noise.

In the case of the Michelin CrossClimate 3, the Dynamic Response technology is replaced by the so-called MaxTouch, already present in the previous generation, which maximises the tyre’s contact area with the road to distribute forces evenly, benefiting durability.

Michelin CrossClimate 3 – Image gallery