February 28, 2020
The ugly truth is, where consumer products are concerned, function often follows form. Particularly with goods where very little engineering is involved, as long as the end result is visually appealing, the product’s actual performance can be an afterthought. What about with highly-engineered products like tires, though? Surely those black, rubber marvels of modern technology put performance above aesthetics, right? Sadly, that’s not always the case. Oftentimes, a tire’s tread pattern has as much to do with marketing and the way the brand wants it to be perceived as it does with functionality.
Sometimes, the pendulum can swing the other direction, as well. Michelin’s current Studless Ice & Snow winter tire, the X-Ice Xi3, is an excellent performer in the worst winter weather, and it drives very nicely on the road, as well. Even so, the tire hasn’t been the commercial success Michelin had hoped for because in certain markets, consumers feel the tire doesn’t look "aggressive" enough to meet their needs. So when designing the replacement, of course it had to outperform its predecessor in every meaningful way, but directive #1 was it had to look the part.
It has to be synergy, then. Michelin’s newest Studless Ice & Snow winter tire, the X-Ice SNOW, must integrate function and form in a way that satisfies drivers’ needs along with their desires. To begin the determination of whether or not the new tire has accomplished this lofty goal, select members of the Tire Rack team went to the X-Ice SNOW launch event at Circuit Mecaglisse in Quebec, where Michelin had several exercises arranged to demonstrate the tire’s capabilities.
Our first demonstration of the day would evaluate handling and braking on a packed snow/icy surface. Our route included a slalom; higher-speed, sweeping turns, some of which were off-camber and downhill; a 270 degree loop on a very icy surface; and ended with a 35-0mph braking zone. The Ford Escape test vehicles wore tires with full tread depth remaining, and we were instructed to drive both vehicles in a similar manner in order to determine the difference between the tires.
Driving the Michelin-equipped vehicle, the strong front end grip and confident front-to-rear balance was immediately apparent through the slalom. The steering wasn’t as urgently responsive as the Nokian, but it felt considerably more linear and natural in the way it built effort and response. In larger turns, the X-Ice SNOW had greater stability, felt more planted and less likely to rotate, and when traction limits were exceeded, the breakaway and recovery were smoother and more gradual and less likely to upset the vehicle. In the braking portion of the test, the deceleration in the Michelin-equipped vehicle felt more authoritative, and the numbers appeared to indicate a significant advantage for the X-Ice SNOW. We will wait until our official testing to publish any hard data.
Following the packed snow demonstration, we moved on to driving in deeper snow, still using the same test vehicles and full-tread depth Michelin and Nokian tires. Using a lead-follow format, our drivers took one lap of the short, rally-style course with each product. While the deep snow changed with every passing vehicle and the tires tended to follow the ruts that were cut into the surface, the Michelin-equipped Escape allowed the driver to carry more speed through turns, in addition to exhibiting more confident response to the driver’s inputs.
To demonstrate the long-lasting performance of the new X-Ice SNOW, Michelin then arranged drives similar to what our group had just experienced with the Ford Escapes, but this time we would be driving Hyundai Elantra Sedans equipped with tires that had been artificially worn to 4/32" remaining tread depth. The first drive would take place on a packed snow/icy surface, with a handling course consisting of tight, offset turns; larger, sweeping turns that were sometimes off-camber; elevation changes; and a straight-line 30-0mph braking zone. The second drive was around a rally-style course with deep, churned snow.
Around the handling course, both tires proved capable and delivered confident traction. The Michelin differentiated itself off the starting line, where the vehicle equipped with the X-Ice SNOW was able to launch with more authority, spinning less on the polished surface. Through the varying turns on the course, it was also apparent the driver could rely on the cornering traction provided by the front tires of the Michelin-equipped vehicle a little more. The additional grip allowed the driver to carry more cornering speed and lean on the outside front tire more before the front end broke loose and the vehicle began to understeer. Once again, in the braking zone the Michelin tires felt stronger, and the objective figures in this demonstration seemed to indicate a shorter stopping distance, but we will wait to draw a definitive conclusion until we test the tires head-to-head.
For this round of deep snow driving, the instructions provided to our team were to, with traction control engaged, keep the vehicle at full throttle throughout the entire course. While the deep, loose snow challenged both tires, it was noticeable the Michelin provided more traction for the vehicle to work with. The electronic stability control could sense lower levels of slippage, and as a result, allowed more engine speed, and therefore more power. Additionally, there were no instances where the vehicle really bogged down and seemed to just barely crawl for forward progress, which did happen a few times in the Bridgestone-equipped vehicle when encountering a long stretch of very deep, loose snow.
Has Michelin achieved the ever-difficult goal of combining function and form in a single product? As always, time and official Tire Rack testing will tell. It’s important to note this event was a demonstration set up by the manufacturer, and by definition, was designed to tell a specific story and demonstrate desired results. That being said, the initial impression was very positive, with the X-Ice SNOW driving head-to-head against two well-known and respected competitors. If the preview is a true indication of what drivers can expect from Michelin’s new Studless Ice & Snow winter tire, the future looks very good, with the performance to back up those looks.
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