Tyres are one of the most expensive items that we end up paying for during our car ownership cycle. No wonder then, most car owners end up giving the highest priority to the life of a tyre when they are in the market for a replacement. However, while doing so, they end up ignoring a very important factor, that of safety. And this is where the new Michelin Energy XM2+ tyres come in the picture.
Tyre life and grip levels don't usually go hand in hand. In order to satisfy one, most tyre companies have to sacrifice the other factor. However, with the new Energy XM2+ tyres, Michelin claims they have been able to improve on both parameters. In terms of numbers, this new tyre is said to offer 29% higher tyre life than its chief rival while at the same time offering far better grip levels. The latter is even more important when you consider that this holds true even when the tyre is nearing the 'end of life' tread depth and test conditions are wet!
So when the invite came for us to fly down to Chennai and get behind the wheel of Maruti Swift hatchbacks and test the claims, I was more than eager. The location was Wabco providing grounds, about 90 minutes from the city centre. A team of experts from Applus IDIADA India were present at this independent testing facility to further help us with the experience. Note the claims made by Michelin are not their own but via the tests done by IDIADA, one of the leading companies that offer testing, design, engineering, and homologation services to the automotive industry worldwide, including our domestic market. Wabco, on the other hand, has the finest proving grounds in India when it comes the development of braking equipment. With these two exceptional names on hand, the brake test on Michelin XM2+ tyres couldn't have been performed any better, and in an error-free manner.
Enough of the gyaan, let's get down to the experience. There were two Maruti Swift diesel cars on offer for us here. While one car had worn out Michelin Energy XM2+ tyres, the other had its chief rival in India, the Bridgestone B290. Both these were of the same spec, i.e., a size of 185/70 R14. In terms of the tread, it was down to less than 2mm which means, the tyres were near the end of their permissible life cycle. But this is where we started to see the differences immediately.
As you can see in the image above, the Bridgestone B290 tyre did not have any central grooves left at all. The XM2+ on the hand, had visible minor grooves that did end up helping in the brake runs. Further, as you can see, the Michelin offering's side grooves would allow a channel for the water to escape out, very essential for that extra grip under wet conditions.
As per the test's requirement, we were to speed up to 100 km/h, keep it steady and hit the brake pedal once we crossed the brake cones. The exercise had to be the same for both the cars on offer - this would mean similar test conditions (same speed, same driver). Within the first run, it was visible that the Swift shod with worn out Michelin Energy XM2+s were outperforming the one with the B290s. No matter who drove the cars, the XM2+ shod Swift used to stop way shorter than the car with the B290s. As per IDIADA, for the 100 km/h to 0 run, the exact difference in distance is 3.3 meters under wet conditions. Impressive!
Apart from the visible grooves on the tread, there are a lot of factors that help the Michelin XM2+ to perform better. For example, this tyre now makes use of full silica compound. Though it makes the manufacturing slightly more expensive, by efficient use of resources and better processes at the factory level, the overall cost difference isn't huge. The compound's materials allow for better traction and grip, on both dry and wet surfaces.
Next, once fitted to a rim or an alloy, the actual contact patch of this tyre is fractionally wider than other tyres. A large contact area ends up increasing grip levels - further, it also adds to the aesthetic appeal. Michelin has also worked on the sidewall to further strengthen it for typical Indian road conditions so no more complaints about tyre bulge issues.
The second big news about the XM2+ is the tyre life. As per tests done by IDIADA, the Michelin XM2+ tyres end up lasting about 29% more than the Bridgestone B290s. This factor more than makes up for the slight premium you have to pay for them. Talking of which, prices start at just over Rs 5000 (per tyre) but do check with your neighbourhood tyre dealer for the exact price depending on the car you own. The XM2+, by the way, is available for rim sizes varying from 12 to 16 inches.
Post the brake run, we were allowed to get behind the wheel of a Swift that was fitted with relatively new Energy XM2+ tyres. The test run was a few kilometers long with a mix of straights, a mini gymkhana circuit and a quick slalom run. Though it will be unfair of me to judge how the XM2+ changed the way the Swift behaved (due to lack of a competition tyre on offer for this experience), the immediate feedback was all positive. Road noise, even at 100 km/h was well under control and the quick slalom didn't have the tyres begging for mercy. And as I said above, these do look slightly wider which makes them stand out on the road.
It was a morning well spent at the WABCO facility. The Michelin Energy XM2+ tyres lived up to the claim. I have personally never experienced worn-out tyres perform like this, let alone the extra tyre life on offer. Killing two birds with one? Definitely!
