Latitude Tour Tire Is Michelin's Smartest Tire Ever, Designed Specifically for Crossover Vehicles and Increased Fuel-Efficiency

GREENVILLE, S.C., Sept. 3, 2008 - Growing popularity, increased fuel efficiency and versatility all combine to make the crossover sport utility vehicle (CUV) a popular choice for today's consumer. Crossover SUVs are unlike any other vehicle and demand a tire unlike any other. The new MICHELIN(R) Latitude(R) Tour tire is uniquely designed for CUVs and accentuates the features that make these vehicles so popular, providing the strength and confidence of a truck tire with the ride and comfort of a passenger car tire.

Now available, the Latitude(R) Tour tire is the longest lasting, most fuel efficient tire in its class, offering greater comfort in wet conditions* and a quiet, comfortable ride.

"Designing a tire to match the unique characteristics of a crossover vehicle was a welcomed challenge," said John M. Soule, light-truck brand category manager, Michelin Americas Small Tires. "Many people buy these vehicles because they are typically more fuel efficient and comfortable than an SUV, yet they still demand truck-like strength and versatility. The Latitude Tour tire compliments these features perfectly and also adds fuel-efficiency benefits and class-leading performance in other key areas, including tread life."

Advanced technology and obsessive engineering make the MICHELIN Latitude Tour tire the longest lasting, most fuel-efficient crossover tire in its class*. Michelin utilized its advanced MaxTouch Construction(TM), combined with special tread compounds, to allow the Latitude Tour tire to deliver 33 percent more miles than the nearest competitive tire in its class*, making it a true eco-friendly tire. The MaxTouch Construction technology also affords a tire design innovation that delivers dramatically improved tread life without sacrificing performance and is backed by a 65,000-mile manufacturer's limited warranty. MaxTouch Construction optimizes the way a tire comes into contact with the surface, helping to reduce unnecessary friction. The result is better fuel efficiency and lower CO2 emissions**.

Extensive wet-road testing led to the advanced water evacuating tread pattern featuring open circumferential grooves and two-dimensional (2D) interlocking sipes. The sipes are special tread features that lock together during braking or turning maneuvers for more strength, while leaving open channels for water to pass through. In addition, a newly developed silica-based compound works together with the 2D sipes to deliver shorter braking distances on wet roads.

Crossovers offer the ride and handling of a passenger car without sacrificing the utility and convenience of an SUV. MICHELIN Latitude Tour tires take that ride to a new level. Michelin Comfort Control Technology combines several tire features to deliver the quietest, most comfortable ride available from Michelin. Precision manufacturing and unparalleled quality control help insure tires are masterfully formed, greatly reducing vibration at highway speed. Even the tread pattern is acoustically tuned, offering a tire that's literally in harmony with the road.