Modern car tires have a narrow focus. Often manufacturers make tires for certain classes of cars or types of paving. Michelin Latitude Sport tires were no exception. During its development, the manufacturer faced the task of creating a rather specific class, combining endurance, the ability to work at high speeds and strength. For which cars is this model intended?
Destination
First of all, the developed rubber, according to the manufacturer, should be installed on SUVs. It is for this reason that rather large sizes with a reinforced structure are produced. However, if you pay attention to the tread pattern, you can notice its typical road structure.
This is due to the fact that Michelin Latitude Sport tires were developed for powerful crossovers and SUVs, which are planned to be used in city mode, as well as on highways. It's no secret that modern cars of this class are capable of developing high speed, and quite often they are used not for traveling off-road, but for the purpose of daily movement around the city. It was for the drivers of these vehicles that this model was created.
Size chart
In order to understand how strictly the manufacturer approached market positioning, it is enough to pay attention to the sizes that are on sale. The smallest inner diameter is 16 inches, which clearly makes it impossible to install these tires on budget cars. In turn, the maximum size of disks on which you can mount Michelin Latitude Sport3 tires is 21 inches. From this we can conclude that there will be no problems finding a suitable size for a crossover or SUV. Also, you can equip a minivan or a minibus with this rubber without any problems, but it will only be advisable if you plan to ride it over long distances and do not forget about the top speed.
Features of the tread pattern
In order to increase traffic safety, the manufacturer has developed an improved structure of the usual asymmetric pattern used on road types of tires. In its central part there are three ribs responsible for maintaining the shape and design of the Michelin Latitude Sport tire during loads, as well as maintaining directional stability during straight-line high-speed movement.
If you pay closer attention to these ribs, you can see that each of them consists of individual elements separated by small slots. This approach allowed us to improve the contact between the working area of the Michelin Latitude Sport 235 * 65 R17 tire and the road surface due to the appearance of additional coupling edges on its entire surface. They allow you to more effectively pick up speed and hold it. And their omnidirectional structure provides a reduction in braking distance, which is also important when driving on high-speed autobahns.
Reinforced side parts
The sidewall structure did not stand aside. In order to improve the controllability of the Michelin Latitude Sport 235 * 55 tire at sharp turns, the side blocks were made more rounded, due to which, with a load shift, reliable contact with the track is maintained. Despite this, they remain quite massive and durable, which helps protect the sidewalls from mechanical damage.
The walls themselves are made of an improved rubber compound that prevents the appearance of hernias after strong shocks. In order to optimize its work, the designers use a reinforced cord, which ensures the preservation of the shape of the tire and protects it from longitudinal cuts.
Aquaplanning Protection
Another feature that improves traffic safety is the redesigned drainage system. According to reviews of Michelin Latitude Sport, the slots between the individual elements in the center of the tire not only allow it to be more tenacious, but also provide the ability to quickly and efficiently cut the surface tension of the water and remove excess moisture to the edges of the working surface of the tire. There, it can easily be pushed out of the rubber with the help of wide grooves located between the side tread blocks.
This approach turned out to be very effective, and allowed drivers not to worry about a possible drift as a result of aquaplaning, especially when abruptly entering a deep puddle.
Braking distance reduction
In order to make braking even more effective, the manufacturer added a small part on the side tread blocks. They got beveled faces whose direction is opposite to the movement. The result was the ability of the Michelin Latitude Sport tire to use additional edges that can provide significant resistance during emergency braking and subsequent slight deformation.
As noted during testing, this approach showed excellent results not only on dry, but also on wet asphalt. According to official reports, the braking distance in rainy weather decreased by 2.7 meters at a speed of 100 km / h. This is more than an acceptable result, which in an emergency can help avoid a collision or mitigate it.
Change the formula of the rubber compound
The world-famous manufacturer has been producing tires for several years, therefore, he has certain achievements regarding the composition of the rubber compound. And yet, for the production of Michelin Latitude Sport 3 they were not enough. As a result, corrections were made at the design stage, which made it possible to increase the uniformity of the mixture, which led to positive results. So, tread elements from different areas of the working area began to work more harmoniously, which allowed to increase the dynamic characteristics of the tire.
The use of new types of silicon-containing components in the composition led to an increase in the service life, since they minimized the effect of abrasive wear. At the same time, the softness of the tire remained at a sufficient level so that it did not lose its properties even during cold weather, so this rubber can be operated until late autumn.
Fuel economy
Trying to create an optimized tread pattern and reduce the noise level, the manufacturer achieved another positive effect - the rolling resistance decreased. According to the test results, this turned out to be enough to significantly reduce fuel consumption, especially with an economical driving mode.
This property of Michelin Latitude Sport can be appreciated by those who have to spend a lot of time behind the wheel and travel long distances, since rubber, despite its rather high cost, can pay off due to fuel economy during operation.