Do you change your tyres every winter and summer? Probably not as the majority of drivers just stick with the summer tyres all year round. Don’t be alarmed, over 65% of Europeans use summer tyres all year and in worse climates than Ireland. However, not changing tyres going into winter puts you at risk as summer tyres don’t cater for wet, icy and snowy roads and compromise your grip on the road. On the opposite end of the scale we see drivers who like to leave their winter tyres on all year round, again, winter tyres do not perform very well in dry hot weather conditions. All season tyres are currently the third option but as they are designed and built for all seasons, they compromise on all weather conditions and can be too generic. For the diligent driver who changes their tyres twice a year, the inconvenience and cost is always an issue, where to store the tyres, the change process and owning and replacing 2 sets of tyres are all hassles. Enter the masters of innovation, Michelin present you the CrossClimate tyre. The first summer tyre in the history of tyres to be fully winter certified. Unlike all season tyres there is no compromise on grip. Fully suitable to hot, dry road conditions and adapts to cold, wet and icy conditions. How? I hear you ask! Through years of research and testing, Michelin use a clever mix of both winter and summer tyre treads along with a secret ingredient special rubber compound increasing low temperature performance. Following the most rigorous independent tests by the TUV, the CrossClimate scored a whopping 5 stars for dry braking, wet grip and performance in snow. A Michelin spokesperson said they expect the new CrossClimate tyre to last at least as long as their current Energy Saver summer model. This tyre has also been rated well for low road noise. The CrossClimate tyre has a C rating for fuel economy, on a similar level to winter and all season tyres which generally rate from C to E. You can get your CrossClimate tyres from May 2015 and they range in size from 15in to 17in. They are a bit more expensive than the equivalent summer tyres available but are worth it. Van tyres will follow, along with a range of 18ins versions suitable for SUVs. Sports car and run-flat tyres aren’t in the mix at the moment, but they haven’t been ruled out in the future.