Michelin Van Tyre Helps Drivers Chill in Extreme Winters

There’s a nip in the air to remind us that winter is heading our way, and soon the cold season’s wet, icy and even snow covered roads will again be a feature of our daily lives. Still, be thankful you live in the UK, where two inches of snow is considered a blizzard. To help van drivers in countries with extremer conditions cope with what winter throws their way, Michelin has introduced the Agilis X-ICE North studded tyre. The new tyre, the manufacturer reports, enables van drivers to “safely overcome obstacles to winter driving while also generating cost savings thanks to its exceptional longevity and outstanding robustness.”

The Agilis X-ICE North, says Michelin, was developed to deliver superior performance in three key areas – safety, cost-effectiveness and robustness – with the goal of enabling utility van drivers to get where they need to go, even in the most difficult conditions, while also providing greater driving comfort. Michelin reports that on icy surfaces the tyre significantly enhances resistance to tracing and ensures progressive responsiveness, while in-house comparative tests with the Michelin Agilis 81 Snow Ice on snow show a 25 per cent improvement in traction.

Coupled with safety is value, Michelin notes. The same in-house testing showed the studs on the X-ICE North to last 30 per cent longer and increase total tyre mileage by 20 per cent. The tyre’s sidewalls are also said to offer the same resistance as those on the Michelin Agilis summer tyre while also reducing the impact of curb scrapes.

At its launch the Agilis X-ICE North is available in 12 sizes for 14 to 16-inch rim diameters, with three sizes available in both studded and studless versions. Michelin reports that the range covers 80 per cent of the studded winter tyre segment.