With some 65 per cent of European drivers leaving summer tyres on their car all year round, and four in ten motorists viewing the annual changeover to winter boots as a major hassle, Michelin has come up with a solution. It's called the CrossClimate and it's a summer tyre that can be safely left on the car all year round as it's also rated for winter use. It carries the coveted 3PMSF (3-Peak Mountain Snow Flake) mark on the sidewall, which means that even in markets such as Germany, which legally require you to fit winter tyres at the colder ends of the year, it'll pass legal muster.
The clever stuff is in the design of the tread. This features interlocking sipes that, apparently, grip the snow like claws for improved traction and grip, but which also have a self-blocking function, allowing the tyre to stiffen up under cornering load, keeping it stiffer and more precise in the dry. There's also some clever compound work, with a new compound just under the tree preventing heat building up to damaging levels during long journeys on day, warm roads. Of possibly greater importance for Irish motorists is that it's rated 'A' for braking distances in the rain.
The CrossClimate goes on sale in May and is available in sizes from 15-inch to 17-inch.