MILAN (ITALPRESS) – The new Michelin Alpin 7 makes its debut on the market, adding to the range of solutions Michelin makes available to every motorist to face the winter season. The product offering to respond to the cold season covers all segments, from passenger cars and SUVs to commercial vehicles and RVs, and is divided into two distinct categories: the All Season Michelin CrossClimate range, for those who only occasionally encounter severe winter driving conditions. Michelin CrossClimate meets the needs of motorists who do not need to make seasonal changes and allows, with a single set of tires, not to worry about weather variations throughout the year, complying with the winter guidelines present on certain road sections; the Michelin Alpin winter range, for those who often encounter severe winter driving conditions and, for this reason, need specific tires. Within this range, Michelin introduces the new Alpin 7.All tires in the CrossClimate and Alpin ranges have both M+S marking and 3PMSF (3 Peak Mountain Snow Flake, or Alpine Symbol) certification, allowing them to be used safely all year round, meeting the regulations in winter on various road sections.Approved according to the new EU regulations (European Regulation R117-04) for passing the worn tire wet grip threshold test, the new Alpin 7 reduces braking distance on snow-covered roads by 6 percent and improves fuel efficiency by 9 percent compared to its predecessorAs its name suggests, the new Michelin Alpin 7 tire sees winter as its natural habitat and meets the needs of motorists who often drive in severe winter conditions. In addition, thanks to its characteristics, Michelin Alpin 7 is suitable for all types of cars: thermals, hybrids and electrics.It arrives on the market to flank two other 100% winter models – dedicated to sports cars and SUVs – the Pilot Alpin 5 and Pilot Alpin 5 SUV, in addition to the all-season Michelin CrossClimate 2 and CrossClimate 2 SUV offer. A comprehensive offering that can provide every motorist with the right answer for their uses in the cold months. The results of tests conducted by UTAC in northern Finland (Mellatracks) in December 2023, at Michelin’s request, reveal that the Michelin Alpin 7 excelled in the following areas: safety on wet and snowy winter roads; improved performance on snow; excellent mileage; reduced energy consumption; and a new rubber compound designed for low temperatures provides good grip during acceleration, braking and cornering.Important innovations are found in the directional tread and increased siping in the tread pattern for better grip on wet and snowy roads. This high siping improves braking grip by 6 percent and snow traction. The directional tread pattern helps drivers maintain control of their vehicle even in the most challenging conditions.The new design allows good performance levels to be maintained throughout the tire’s life and to be used up to the wear indicator. Thanks to Michelin’s know-how in 3D printing, which is useful for producing highly complex tread molds, the Michelin Alpin 7 tire features evolutionary sipes, or new grooves that appear as the tire tread wears down. This makes it possible to maintain a good level of performance throughout the tire’s life and allow it to be used safely and confidently up to the legal wear limit, set at 1.6mm. “Alpin 7, our new 100 percent winter tire, compared to its predecessor, Alpin 6, goes on to improve braking on snow by 6 percent, energy efficiency, which translates into rolling resistance, by 9 percent, along with an excellent mileage life that allows you to benefit from safety performance for longer and longer, until the end of the tire’s life,” says Antonio Di Benedetto, technical product manager for automotive at Michelin Italy. In Europe, as of July 2024, a new regulation has come into force that introduces an important safety test: the worn wet grip test. The Alpin 7, although on the market since before the regulation came into force, is already type-approved, so it meets all the prerequisites. “To perform this test, the new tire is mechanically worn to near the legal tread wear limit (about 2mm). To obtain approval, it is necessary that the measured performance is above the threshold defined by the regulations.Michelin develops its tires taking into consideration not only performance when new, but also when worn. The new Michelin Alpin 7, while anticipating the entry into force of the standard, has already received European homologation because, even when worn, it exceeds the thresholds set by the European Union for this test.The new Michelin Alpin 7 tire is already available in 62 sizes–from 15 to 20 inches–and is suitable for all major mid-range cars. The range is intended primarily for the European market and is manufactured entirely in the Michelin group’s European plants, including the Italian plant in Cuneo, the largest Michelin plant in Western Europe.
– Michelin press office photo -(ITALPRESS).
