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THE race
to equip the ever-growing number of vehicles on the road
today with good and quality tires has been taken to the
next level.
And
Michelin, the world’s largest tire manufacturer, is not
to let its competitors catch up on any level especially
on the ever-growing market of sports- or multipurpose
vehicles.
As of
last year, there were a total of 12 million registered
SUVs all over the world and the number is expected to
grow more by 65 percent by the year 2010!
The
French tire maker knows that manufacturers of SUVs are
creating powerful vehicles with high performance, speed
and precision handling. That’s why it continues to make
tires that are long-lasting, give a comfortable ride and
ensure safety on any kind of surface.
The
likes of Audi Quattro A7, BMW X5 and Porsche Cayenne are
some of the few examples of powerful SUVs that are being
gobbled up in the market today. They can accelerate from
zero to 100 kph in less than five seconds despite 2.5
tons of weight and can run as fast as 300 kph on a
racetrack, thanks to their 300- to 500-hp engines.
In an
elaborate international launch last week at the
beautiful industrial city of Zhuhai in China, which is a
40-minute ferry ride from Hong Kong, Michelin introduced
two major products that could prove to be the answer to
the needs and requirements of the continuously evolving
SUVs: the Latitude Tour HP and the Latitude Sport.
Over hill and dale
The BMW X5s
fitted with Michelin Tour tires negotiate a mountainside
during the off-road driving workshop.
According to Rebecca Lee, Michelin director for
communications for the Asia-Pacific, aside from
China’s
local scribes, more than 40 other motoring journalists
from the 10 countries in the Asia-Pacific region were
invited to witness the said launch and experience the
use of the tires under various road conditions.
“We
welcome you to the unleashing of the new Michelin SUV
range. Now it’s your chance to give it some Latitude,”
Lee said.
Lee was
one of many Michelin top officials from various parts of
the world who attended the event. Also present were
Pierre Azemat, zone product category manager for
passenger car and light truck tires; Marina Faurie,
brand category manager for Asia-Pacific of the passenger
car and light truck tires; Regis Jeandenand, manager for
motorsports Asia-Pacific; and Daniel Lum, communications
officer for external relations.
The
Latitude Tour HP is a tire that lasts longer and is much
safer both on dry and wet surfaces. It is also quieter
than any tire in the market today. On the other hand,
Latitude Sports is a product that can be used even in
off-road driving and designed to unleash sports
performance from an SUV.
Both
tires have been reaping much success after its launch in
Europe several months ago and also after numerous
prestigious and high-performance SUV manufacturers
decided to use them.
It was
disclosed during the various workshops that the tires
proved outstanding in various impartial tests conducted
by the TUV SUD Automotive, an independent German
technical services firm that performs certification
tests and technical surveys for the automotive industry.
The results showed that they “consistently outlasted
their direct competitors” by up to 38-percent longer in
various tests.
“Translated into time, assuming the same conditions of
use, if the direct competitor lasts on an average of
three years, the Michelin new tires will still be going
strong after four long years,” according to Azemat, who
spearheaded the testing of the tires at the huge Zhuhai
International Circuit (ZIC) using several SUVs such as
the Porsche Cayenne, BMW X5 and Audi A7.
To
conform to the needs of the SUV owners, Michelin worked
hard to achieve a balance between longevity, comfort and
safety to come up with the Latitude Tour that combines
three major technological innovations such as:
n
Terrain-Proof Compound, which incorporates a polymer
used in earthmover tires that are designed to resist the
additional abrasion caused by rough terrain that easily
shortens the tire’s tread life. Engineered for maximum
on-road performance, it also makes the tire suitable for
off-road driving since its stronger rubber offers
superior abrasion resistance by countering the extra
wear caused by rough terrain or heavy use.
n
StabiliGrip sipes for safer handling on wet roads. The
new Latitude HP Tour features the new StabikiGrip sipes
that are especially designed to be self-blocking and
provide better control and grip in both wet and dry
conditions. They are designed to lock into one another
and add rigidity to the tread blocks so they close and
lock under hard acceleration, braking and cornering both
on wet and dry handling.
n Supple
yet rigid structure for enhanced mileage and comfort.
The Michelin HP Tour combines a rigid tread patter with
supple sidewalls and architecture that easily deforms
offering a larger footprint and a greater contact with
the road at all times. This ensures even pressure
distribution so that the tread works evenly and
efficiently to deliver longer mileage.
The
Michelin HP Tour is now fitted as original equipment on
the Audi Q7, BMW X45, Citroen C-Crosser, Kia Sorento,
Land Rover Freelander, Mercedes ML and R-Classes,
Mercedes GL, Peugeot 4007, Porsche Cayenne Facelift
2007, Volkswagen Touareg, Volkswagen Tiguan and Volvo
XC70, among others. It is also available in 32 various
sizes.
Meanwhile, the Michelin Latitude Sport is larger,
heavier and has a greater load capacity than a passenger
car tire that holds the road at high speed. A
revolutionary zero-degree belt that is banded at zero
degree to the tire rotation extends further into the
tire shoulders to restrain deformations of the tire
crown area. The tire is able to resist deformations even
at higher speeds, enhancing driving precision and
safety.
The
Latitude Sport was developed in association with
Porsche, with whom Michelin has worked with since 1960.
Aside from the Porsche Cayenne 2007, the Latitude ports
is also being fitted in the Audi Q7 and the Volkswagen
Touareg and other new SUVs in the market today.
Billeted
at the beautiful Zobon Business Hotel, which directly
faces the scenic Pearl River Delta, the participants
were transported to the ZIC, where the four driving
workshops—dry handling, dry and wet handling, off-road
handling, and hot laps—were held in one whole day.
Dry
lapping consisted of driving the Porsche Cayenne through
cones around one-half of the track and back, while on
the other half, Audi A7s were tested on dry and wet
surfaces at the same time. Off-roading was done on a
nearby mountain where five BMW X5 were tested on
torturous and rugged terrain with jagged stones.
The
participants were also able to compare Michelin’s former
hot-sellers, the Diamantes, against the new Latitude
Tour HP and the Latitude Sports.
Meanwhile, the Hot Laps involved riding a Porsche
Cayenne alongside an experienced Formula 3 driver, who
drove the vehicle on the whole racetrack as if it was a
racing car. It was truly an exhilarating way to cap
the event. |
