Michelin Experience Drive At Wabco Proving Grounds: Testing Out The New ‘Energy XM2+’ Range

Michelin India stated that the new range of Energy XM2+ tyres offers better performance, safety and improved mileage. The company also claimed that even under worn-out conditions, the new range of Energy XM2+ tyres offers better braking and safety, in both wet and dry road conditions — here are the launch details of the new Michelin Energy XM2+ tyres.

To test out these claims, Michelin invited us to the Wabco Proving Grounds on the outskirts of Chennai to put the new range of tyres through its paces. Here are all the details from the tests conducted.

Michelin had outsourced the testing of their tyres to Applus IDIADA - an international firm based out of Spain, which carries out independent testing of various cars, components and tyres; among others.

The test was split into two sections, wet braking test and a high-speed loop around the Wabco testing facility. For the wet braking tests, Michelin used a set of worn-out Energy XM2+ tyres on all four sides. To give a thorough comparison, Michelin also used a set of worn-out competitor tyres as well from Bridgestone.

Both sets of tyres were fitted onto the latest-generation Maruti Suzuki Swift hatchbacks. To even things out, both cars had the same year of manufacturing while having identical powertrains as well. This meant any difference noticed during the test was mostly due to the tyres used on the cars.

First Round: Wet Braking

The first round consisted of a long straight stretch of asphalt with a continuous sprinkling of water; replicating rainy or wet road conditions. We were asked to sprint to a speed of 100km/h, before applying full emergency braking.

This round consisted of four runs, two of them with the worn-out Michelin Energy XM2+ tyres and two with the worn-out Bridgestone tyres. The results from the test were as expected and quite impressive.

The worn-out Michelin tyres managed to have a shorter stopping distance on both the rounds under full emergency braking. The gap between the worn-out Michelin Energy XM2+ and its competition was over 2 metres on both occasions.

The Michelin tyres also offered good levels of grip even under heavy braking with little to no drama. The competitor tyres, however, did manage to stop a bit later with a small yet noticeable amount of swerves; causing us to grip the steering wheel harder to keep the car perfectly straight.

Second Round: One Loop Around The Proving Grounds

The second round of testing was going around one lap of the Wabco Proving Grounds. This included tight turns, long stretches, long parabolic turns and slalom at the end as well.

This test was conducted on a set of brand new Michelin XM2+ tyres. The long track allowed us to understand the performance of the tyres at higher speeds, long corners and tight turns. It also gave us the opportunity to experience the grip on a set of new tyres.

The Michelin Energy XM2+ offered excellent levels of grip, with little to no road noise. Even during the slalom course, the tyres offered good levels of grip as well.

Thoughts On The New Michelin Tyre Testing

The new Michelin tyres offer excellent levels of grip and reduced rolling resistance as well. The tests performed at the Wabco Proving Grounds are a confirmation of that. The Michelin XM2+ range of tyres offer the best balance of performance and mileage and are perfectly suited for the Indian driving conditions.