Michelin Americas Truck Tires has taken its best-selling regional tire, the all-position Michelin XZE tire, and made it better, according to Marc Laferriere, vice president of marketing for Michelin Americas Truck Tires.

He said the Michelin XZE tire has been the leading tire of choice for regional fleets.
The all-position XZE2 tire improves on Michelin's existing XZE tire in a number of characteristics:

• A 15 percent increase in overall tread life - meaning more miles of operation without compromising other performance attributes.
• An optimized tire profile, incorporating Michelin's siping technology and four-groove design, protects the tire against irregular wear.
• A 6 percent wider tread area that delivers enhanced traction and stability, improving handling and maneuverability for the driver.
• An enhanced chip- and cut-resistant tread compound for all load ranges. This compound was previously only in LRH tires, and combined with the 22/32nds of original tread depth allows the XZE2 tire to deliver the best wear in high-scrub applications.
• A 5 percent reduction in rolling resistance, providing increased fuel efficiency.

The XZE2 tire will be available beginning March 1, in sizes 11R22.5, 275/80R22.5 and 11R24.5, with a 275/80R24.5 size becoming available in April. The XZE tire will remain available through the end of the year.