Michelin Primacy 5: Michelin's first made-in-India passenger car tyre

Michelin has introduced the Primacy 5 in India, its first locally manufactured passenger car tyre, promising improved safety, longer life, enhanced comfort and better efficiency for ICE, hybrid and electric vehicles.Michelin leadership with Primacy 5 tyre.Michelin has launched the Primacy 5 premium passenger car tyre in India, marking a significant milestone for the French tyre maker as it becomes the company's first made-in-India passenger car tyre. Developed specifically for Indian driving conditions, the new tyre promises improved safety, longer life, better comfort and enhanced efficiency for sedans, SUVs, hybrids and electric vehicles.The Primacy 5 combines Michelin's latest tread design with next-generation rubber compounds and has been developed and validated on vehicles commonly driven in India. The company says the tyre has been benchmarked against leading competitors and independently tested to validate its performance claims.The Michelin Primacy 5 will be available in 16-inch to 22-inch tyre sizes, with prices starting from Rs 10,000, depending on the tyre size.What makes the Michelin Primacy 5 special?Class-leading braking performanceSafety is the biggest highlight of the Primacy 5. Independent tests conducted by Applus+ IDIADA at NATRAX, Indore, on a Hyundai Creta fitted with 205/65 R16 tyres found that the Primacy 5 outperformed comparable premium tyres from competitors. In wet braking tests (80-20kmph), the Primacy 5 stopped in an average of 30.5 metres when new, compared to 38.6 metres for its rivals—around 8 metres shorter. Even after being worn down to a tread depth of 2mm, it stopped in 37.6 metres, while competing tyres required 46.5 metres, translating to an advantage of nearly 9 metres.In dry braking tests (100-0kmph), the Primacy 5 recorded an average stopping distance of 38.1 metres, compared to 42.2 metres for rival tyres, offering an advantage of approximately 4 metres. Michelin attributes these gains to its EverGrip and EverTread technologies, which are designed to maintain braking performance throughout the tyre's lifespan.Improved ride comfortMichelin says the Primacy 5 also sets a new benchmark for ride comfort. During independent testing, the tyre recorded a vertical acceleration of 4.8m/s, compared to the 5.2m/s average achieved by competing tyres in a ride comfort evaluation conducted over a defined cleat input at 40kmph.According to the company, the redesigned tread pattern helps reduce road noise and vibrations, resulting in a more comfortable driving experience.8 per cent longer tyre lifeLongevity has also been improved over the outgoing Primacy 4 ST. Michelin says the Primacy 5 delivers an 8 per cent longer lifespan, based on projected tyre life tests conducted by Applus+ IDIADA on Indian roads using a Hyundai Creta fitted with 205/65 R16 tyres.Better efficiency for ICEs and EVsDesigned for internal combustion engine (ICE), hybrid and electric vehicles, the Primacy 5 has been engineered to cope with the higher torque and weight of modern EVs while maintaining durability and performance.The tyre also offers 6.5 per cent lower rolling resistance than the Primacy 4 ST, as measured under ISO 28580 laboratory test conditions. Michelin says this can help reduce fuel consumption in petrol and diesel vehicles while improving driving range in electric vehicles.Made in India for Indian driversSpeaking at the launch in Chennai, Shantanu Deshpande, Managing Director, Michelin India, said the locally manufactured Primacy 5 reflects the company's long-term commitment to the Indian market.He added that the tyre has been developed and tested on vehicles commonly driven in India, benchmarked against leading competitors and validated by an independent testing agency. According to him, local manufacturing combined with Michelin's global tyre technologies will help meet the growing demand for premium tyres offering superior safety, durability, comfort and efficiency.Michelin also reiterated that India remains a key growth market for the company as it continues expanding its retail network, manufacturing footprint and service ecosystem in the country.Award-winning tyreThe Michelin Primacy 5 has already received global recognition, winning the Tyre of the Year 2025 award at the Tyre Technology International Awards for Innovation and Excellence.AvailabilityThe Michelin Primacy 5 will be available from August 2026 through Michelin Tyres & Service stores and approximately 800 authorised Michelin dealers across India.Subscribe to Auto Today Magazine - EndsPublished On: Aug 3, 2026 19:15 IST