Michelin X-Ice North 4 SUV is a spiked winter tire with a directional tread pattern, designed to tackle the harshest of road conditions, and engineered for SUVs and crossovers. Its key feature is a high level of ice traction ensured by the all-time record number of steel spikes – the biggest sizes of this model feature more than 300 of them. The Michelin X-Ice North 4 SUV appeared in the European range of this French brand in the winter season 2019/2020, a year after the passenger-car version of this model, Michelin X-Ice North 4. One cannot help but notice the visual likeness between these two models, but, to maintain the effective ground adhesion of this wide-tread tire, the designers did have to optimize the tread pattern, introducing additional rectangular blocks into its central section. The optimized tread pattern The passenger-car and the SUV versions of this tire also differ in their inner construction. The SUV tire features an extra-sturdy double carcass, and has a sealant layer made of freeze-resistant material meant to increase the tire’s strength on winter roads. The anti-skid studs, whose total number has doubled in comparison to the previous-generation model (Michelin X-Ice North 3) are embedded in a special way into the XIN4 SUV tread pattern. Their arrangement has been completely revised to ensure the tire’s highly effective performance on ice, and to significantly reduce the cabin noise. The unique shape of the studs used in the Michelin X-Ice North 4 SUV is similar to that of the studs that this manufacturer uses for the tires used in the World Rally Championship. It not only ensures extra traction on slippery winter roads but also extends the service life of the studs.