Mr. Chandan Thakur (in the suit), MD of Michelin Malaysia with his regional counterpart and Bibendum, aka Michelin Man
Today I met with a few of the tyre guys from Michelin over at a hotel in Petaling Jaya. We were all there for the launch of their latest tyre that will cater for the up and coming SUV market which right now is about 9% of the total volume for the passenger car market and climbing. The tyre in question is the new Michelin Primacy SUV.
This exclusively designed all-weather on road tyre for SUVs is available from 16 inch and above sizes. These are in the common sizes for most popular and family oriented SUVs in the market like the Honda CRV, the Nissan X-TRAIL and the Mazda CX-5 to name a few.
The Primacy SUV was developed specifically for the Asia Pacific’s extreme road and weather conditions with the objective of offering maximum safety to SUV owners and their families. Note that the emphasis is for on road usability in all-weather and not for the hard core off-roaders. With that in mind, Michelin has put in a lot of effort towards shorter braking distances in the wet and in the dry, grip in all conditions especially in the wet, a quiet ride, a comfortable ride, fuel savings and wear resistance. Basically Michelin has given all they've got to try make consumers happy with this product. It is one of the few tyres from Michelin that have the Michelin Total Performance endorsement stamped onto it (below).
In a nutshell, key improvement factors compared the previous Michelin SUV tyre are as follows:
2.2 metres shorter braking distance on wet roads. -
The test was carried by CATARC on 11th Apr. 2015. Vehicle: Honda CR-V 2.0 VVT. Tyre size 225/65R17. Speed: 80 km/h to 20Km/h. Tyre pressure: 210 kPa.
6%improved grip in wet cornering.
The test was carried by CATARC on 11th Apr. 2015. Vehicle: Honda CR-V 2.0 VVT. Tyre size 225/65R17. Tyre pressure:210 kPa.
1.9 metres shorter braking in dry conditions.
The test was carried by CATARC on 11th Apr. 2015. Vehicle: Honda CR-V 2.0 VVT. Tyre size 225/65R17. Speed: 100 km/h to 0Km/h. Tyre pressure: 210 kPa.
The new tyre is distributed in all TYREPLUS and Michelin Authorized dealer networks nationwide and is priced starting from RM440.
Michelin Primacy SUV photobombed by a journo...it happens, but I think this is a realistic photo with all the background clutter. (i.e, I could have edited this but I am not going to do so)
NEWS RELEASE AND TECH PICTURES BELOW
PETALING JAYA – OCTOBER 6, 2015
New MICHELIN Primacy SUV Tyre
The Most Important Safety Feature that Gives SUV Drivers Peace of Mind Behind the Wheel
Michelin Malaysia, the market leader in tyre technology unveils the new MICHELIN Primacy SUV tyre, a breakthrough tyre that provides drivers and their families with greater peace of mind and real safety on their daily commute, as well as during long distance travel.
Most SUV (Sport Utility Vehicle) drivers choose their vehicle’s safety features carefully – considering ABS, airbags, and traction control. But more often than not, they underestimate the vital role that tyres play. As the only contact with the road, good tyres are a driver’s first guarantee of a safe and comfortable ride.
The area of a tyre that touches the road surface is approximately the size of a postcard. It is not much when you consider all the functions of a tyre: supporting the car, transmitting traction and braking forces, absorbing road shocks and steering. This is why tyres should be regarded as a priority when considering the safety of any type of vehicle.
The MICHELIN Primacy SUV is exclusively designed by Michelin for SUVs. It was developed specifically for the Asia Pacific’s extreme road and weather conditions with the objective of offering maximum safety to SUV owners and their families.
Speaking about the new tyre, Michelin Malaysia’s Managing Director, Chandan Thakur said: “Enabling safer transportation has always been a leading principle in our product development. Many drivers are not aware that when you’re driving, there’s the equivalent of only a postcard of tread connecting each of your tyres to the road and controlling thousands of kilograms of machinery at great speed in all kinds of conditions.
“SUVs are now used almost exclusively on the road. They are larger, more robust vehicles, and they offer better visibility and more space, but they can at times be more difficult to handle and to stop, especially on wet roads.
“We have listened to SUV drivers in our region. The MICHELIN Primacy SUV tyre was developed to address these needs, and deliver confidence and tranquillity to drive your family safely even in the most unpredictable driving conditions.”
The new tyre offers significant safety improvements:
2.2 metres1 shorter braking distance on wet roads.
6%2 improved grip in wet cornering.
1.9 metres3 shorter braking in dry conditions.
According to Chandan, the MICHELIN Primacy SUV’s unique capability to deliver drivers a safer, smoother ride is achieved through the use of the following Michelin leading tyre technologies:
“As a result of the combination of these technologies, the MICHELIN Primacy SUV tyre is able to offer drivers a safer, smoother ride. Thanks to MICHELIN Total Performance, this is achieved without compromising other tyre performance characteristics such as tread life and fuel consumption,” added Chandan.
The new MICHELIN Primacy SUV, is available from 16 inch and above sizes. The new tyre is distributed in all TYREPLUS and Michelin Authorized dealer networks nationwide and is priced starting from RM440.
MICHELIN Total Performance
At MICHELIN, we continuously push safety, longevity, robustness and even more performances, all at the same time in the same tyre, and with no trade-offs. That is what we call MICHELIN Total Performance. Through our tyre design approach and leading technologies, we work to constantly improve all tyre performance factors together, rather than being easily satisfied with just doing well on one or two factors at a time. MICHELIN Total Performance has and will always be our difference on every tyre.
About MICHELIN
Dedicated to the improvement of sustainable mobility, Michelin designs, manufactures and sells tyres for every type of vehicle, including airplanes, automobiles, bicycles, earthmovers, farm equipment, heavy-duty trucks and motorcycles. Michelin employs 115,000 people, has sales organizations in more than 170 countries and operates 69 production sites in 18 countries throughout five continents. The company also publishes travel guides, hotel and restaurant guides, maps and road atlases and offers electronic mobility support services, on ViaMichelin.com. The company conducts research and innovation development in technology centres located in Asia, Europe and North America.
