Michelin Latitude Sport tires: specifications, description

2024 Author: Erin Ralphs | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-19 11:41

Modern car tires have a narrow focus. Manufacturers often make tires for certain classes of vehicles or types of road surfaces. The Michelin Latitude Sport tires were no exception. During its development, the manufacturer was faced with the task of creating a rather specific class that combines endurance, the ability to work at high speeds and strength. What cars is this model intended for?

Purpose

First of all, the developed rubber, according to the manufacturer, should be installed on SUVs. It is for this that rather large sizes with a reinforced structure are produced. However, if you pay attention to the tread pattern, you can see its typical road structure.

This is because the Michelin Latitude Sport tireswas developed for powerful crossovers and SUVs, which are planned to be operated in urban 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 off-road trips, but for the purpose of daily movement around the city. It is for the drivers of these vehicles that this model was created.

Size grid

In order to understand how strictly the manufacturer approached the positioning on the market, it is enough to pay attention to the sizes that are on sale. The smallest inner diameter is 16 inches, which makes it impossible to install these tires on budget cars. In turn, the maximum size of the disks on which Michelin Latitude Sport3 tires can be mounted is 21 inches. From this we can conclude that there will be no problems finding the right size for a crossover or SUV. Also, this rubber can be easily equipped with a minivan or minibus, but it will only be advisable if you plan to drive it over long distances and do not forget about the top speed.

Tread pattern features

In order to improve driving safety, the manufacturer has developed an improved structure of the familiar asymmetric pattern used on road tires. In its central part there are three ribs responsible for maintaining the shape anddesign of the Michelin Latitude Sport tire during stress, as well as maintaining directional stability during straight-line high-speed traffic.

If you pay closer attention to these ribs, you will notice that each of them consists of separate elements separated by small slots. This approach has improved the contact between the working area of the tire Michelin Latitude Sport 23565 R17 and the road surface due to the appearance of additional gripping edges on its entire surface. They allow you to more effectively pick up speed and hold it. And their omnidirectional structure ensures shorter stopping distances, which is also important when driving on high-speed autobahns.

Reinforced side pieces

The structure of the sidewalls did not stand aside either. In order to improve the handling of the Michelin Latitude Sport 23555 tire in tight corners, the side blocks have been made more rounded, due to which, when the load is shifted, confident contact with the track is maintained. Despite this, they remain quite massive and durable, which allows you to protect the sidewalls from mechanical damage.

The walls themselves are made of an improved rubber compound that prevents the appearance of hernias after strong impacts. In order to optimize its performance, the designers use a reinforced cord to keep the shape of the tire and protect it from longitudinal cuts.

Hydroplaning protection

Another feature that improves traffic safety isredesigned drainage system. According to Michelin Latitude Sport reviews, the slots between the individual elements in the center of the tire not only allow it to be more grippy, but also provide the ability to quickly and efficiently cut the surface tension of water and carry excess moisture to the edges of the tire's running surface. There, it can be pushed out of the rubber without any problems with the help of wide grooves located between the side tread blocks.

This approach proved to be very effective, and allowed drivers not to worry about possible skidding as a result of hydroplaning, especially when driving sharply into a deep puddle.

Shortening stopping distance

In order to make braking even more effective, the manufacturer has added a small detail on the side tread blocks. They received beveled edges, the direction of which is the opposite of the movement. The result is the ability of the Michelin Latitude Sport tire to apply additional ribs during emergency braking and subsequent slight deformation, which can provide significant resistance.

As noted during testing, this approach showed excellent results not only on dry, but also on wet pavement. According to official reports, the braking distance in rainy weather decreased by 2.7 meters at a speed of 100 km/h. This is a more than acceptable result, which in an emergency can help avoid a collision or mitigate it.

Changing the rubber compound formula

A world-famous manufacturer has been producing tires for several years, so it has certain developments regarding the composition of the rubber compound. And yet, for the production of Michelin Latitude Sport 3, they were not enough. As a result, changes were made at the design stage, which made it possible to achieve an increase in the homogeneity of the mixture, which led to positive results. So, tread elements from different areas of the working area began to work more consistently, which made it possible to increase the dynamic characteristics of the tire.

The use of new types of silicon-containing components in the composition has led to an increase in service life, as they have minimized the effect of abrasive wear. At the same time, the softness of the tire remained at a sufficient level so that it does not lose its properties even during cold snaps, so this rubber can be used until late autumn.

Fuel economy

Trying to create an optimized tread pattern and reduce noise levels, the manufacturer has achieved another positive effect - reduced rolling resistance. According to the results of tests, this was enough to significantly reduce fuel consumption, especially when driving economically.

This property of the Michelin Latitude Sport can be appreciated by those who have to spend a lot of time behind the wheel and cover long distances, since rubber, despite its rather high cost, can pay off during operation due tofuel economy.