Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV (appeared in the range of the French brand in 2019) is an Ultra-High Performance (UHP) asymmetric summer tire designed for heavy-duty operation on city SUVs and crossovers. According to the manufacturer, its key features include handling stability at high speeds, effective braking in any weather conditions, increased ride comfort, durability, and high resistance to wear. The sports tire Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV appeared on the market three years later after the launch of the passenger version of this model, the Pilot Sport 4, which “donated” its tread pattern to the new model. This tire was created not by the Michelin designers alone, but with an input from the world’s top carmakers, such as Audi, BMW, Mercedes, and Porsche, thanks to which the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV is characterized by high resistance to wear, which is a key performance area for tires to be fitted on powerful and heavy-duty vehicles. This has been proven by multiple tests conducted by Germany’s DEKRA testing center. The dependable dry traction of this Michelin tire is ensured by the outer area of the asymmetric tread of the Pilot Sport SUV 4, while the inside area of the tread, due to the upgraded rubber compound, enriched by new-generation “functional elastomers” easily adapts to any road inequalities, at the same time ensuring maximum wet grip.

The deep circumferential grooves ensure quick evacuation of water from the contact area, thus preventing the occurrence of hydroplaning and slushplaning effects. The modified construction of the tread blocks ensures better handling control thanks to the reduction of the blocks’ deformation. The stability of the contact patch of the Pilot Sport PS4 SUV at high speeds and its ability to resist deformation under the influence of centripetal force is due to the presence of an additional layer of aramid-nylon threads on the internal structure of the tire.

To further increase the Pilot Sport 4 SUV resistance to wear, the engineers optimized the tread compound formula, and, to male this tire extra strong, equipped it with a dual carcass that also ensures a better handling response. We will also note here the unique sidewall design of this sports tire, created with the use of Premium Touch technology, which gives the inscriptions of the tire’s sidewall a “velvet” look.

The tire test, conducted in the end of the summer of 2018 by TUV SUD using an Audi Q5 2.0 TDI, which involved the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV tire in size 235/60 R18, showed that its dry and wet braking performance was the best in its class.