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Published on July 25, 2007

Well if you're one of those who plan to spend at least 10 per cent of their driving time off-road, then Michelin's new Latitude might just may be your pick. The Latitude is aimed at high-performance SUVs like the BMW X5, Porsche Cayenne and Audi Q7, to name a few.

"Most SUVs today have been developed as passenger cars but with more luxurious touches and accommodating features for a driver's comfort on urban roads and freeways. These added features on new SUV models make the vehicles more popular among car-buyers. The number of SUVs is expected to double in the Thai market over the next 10 years," said Panthep Supachaikit, managing director of Michelin Siam's passenger-car and light-truck production line.

More SUV drivers are using their vehicles like passenger cars in the city while requiring the same vehicle to perform occasionally on rough terrain like gravel and mud. This is a new trend in tyres, compared with normal all-terrain tyres, which sacrifice on-road handling but provide better off-road performance.

"There are two models of Latitude tyres that we're introducing into the market. The first is the Latitude Tour HP, which are highway SUV tyres meant for urban SUV drivers. This new tyre performs well on off-road tracks but excels in terms of highway performance. The second is the Latitude Sport, meant to be the ultimate sports tyre and designed for high-performance SUVs. The Sport is the result of collaborative work between Michelin and Porsche," Panthep said.

Michelin says the Latitude also provides superior comfort and less noise than other all-terrain tyres. The new Latitudes can be bought at tyre stores around the Kingdom and at all Michelin Tyre Plus centres. Both Latitude models cost Bt3,200 for the 15-inch version and Bt10,000 for the 20-inch.

Vijo Varghese

The Nation

Ultimate in Luxury

The Luxury LS 460 is a wonderfully comfaortable car fitted with all mod cons, althoough not necessarily the most fun vehicle to drive.