Michelin has just officially launched the Michelin Primacy 4 for the ASEAN region here in Pattaya, Thailand. The new premium touring tyres is now available for sale in Malaysia at selected Michelin authorised distributors.
The Primacy 4 replaces the outgoing Primacy 3 model and the main technological focus of this latest generation tyre is to create a tyre that provides consistent safety levels throughout the lifespan of the tyres. With the tagline “Safe When New, Safe When Worn”, Michelin has introduced multiple innovations to ensure that the Primacy 4 can maintain its wet braking performance even when the tyre is worn to the tyre wear indicator level (~1.6 mm tread depth).
To create this revolutionary tyre, Michelin has adopted the EverGrip technology which uses a new tyre sculpture and new-generation tyre bonding compound. The new tyre groove has 50 per cent more water evacuation space and a squarer design that can effectively disperse water even when it is worn.
The latest-generation rubber compound bonds the rubber and silica atoms in the tyres more strongly and evenly to give better road holding capabilities on wet roads even when there is little tread depth left. All these are coupled with Michelin’s second-generation Silent Rib Technology, inter-locking bands that helps minimise the deformation of tread blocks when the tyre is rolling to reduce air pumping effects to create a quieter and more refined ride.
As for key performance index compared to its predecessor, the Primacy 4 brakes 4 per cent better in dry conditions when new and when the tyres are worn, it still performed 2.3 per cent better than the Primacy 3. Wet braking is where the new Primacy 4 shines, being able to stop 1.3 per cent better in the wet when new and a staggering 5.2 per cent improvement when the tyres are worn.
The new Primacy 4 is also 0.3 dB quieter and has 4 per cent improvement in grip levels compared to the Primacy 3. Clearly, Michelin’s goal here is to create a tyre that is safe (better wet grip and stopping power) even when the tyres are worn with little tread depth left.
Managing Director of Michelin Malaysia Pascal Nouvellon revealed: “A tyre’s grip and braking performance – especially on wet roads – is critical to road safety in our country. Malaysian consumers today choose their tyres based on their characteristics when they are new. But what happens to grip and braking performance after 50,000 kilometres, or after a few years of use?”
“In the tyre industry, performance tests are typically conducted on new products. Michelin is a step ahead. We want to demonstrate that our performance is maintained with mileage and time” added Pascal.
The Michelin Primacy 4 is now on sale in Malaysia with available sizes (full list of sizes here) ranging from 15 to 19-inch. At the moment, Michelin Malaysia has sizes ranging from 16 to 18-inch in the market while other sizes will only be available later in the year. All Michelin Primacy 4 tyres are imported from Thailand and carry the “ST” print on the side wall to denote that these tyres are made for the ASEAN region.
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