Michelin XM2+ has came a long way since Michelin had a dedicated tire line for the comfort segment (13″ to 16″). Lets look back over the years on how it evolve into the current XM2+ as we know.
Table of Contents
XM1 (2004)
XM1 first came out in 2005. At that time it was label as the fuel-efficient MICHELIN ENERGY XM1 tire.
XM1+ (2008)
The rubber upgrade came 4 years later with a focus still on rolling resistance. The pattern largely stayed the same while the compound upgrade was emphasized. The compound upgrade trend was first used by Michelin in order to prolong the life cycle of the product while enhancing its performance. The tire mold stays the same so Michelin do not have to reinvest on new molds. This would later be used on various products across its summer and winter portfolio.
XM2 (2011)
The long awaited pattern change took place in 2011 with the new pattern having no center block ribs. Emphasis was still on rolling resistance but now also on wear. It promise a 20% longer service life compare to XM1.
XM2+ (2019)
After waiting for more than 8 years, Michelin finally came out with a bang ! The main focus this time around was wet braking and mileage. Not a single word about fuel efficiency which has been the highlight of the product line since it was launch. Tires were tested against other leading competitors and according to their independent 3rd party tested, Michelin was far superior than its premium competitors.
Summary
What started out as an energy saving tire line was shifted to focus to wet braking in the last few years. Based on the current trend the next XM3 would come around 8-9 years later around 2027. As always with Michelin, we have to wait for the best 🙂