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This July, Michelin extended the CrossClimate 3 Sport into key 20-inch sizes. Increasing the spread of vehicles that they can provide tyres for - with a 326PS hot hatch at one end, a seven-seat electric SUV weighing the better part of three tonnes at the other.
Given the range of vehicles that these new fitments could be fitted to, there are very different problems for a tyre to solve. A light, rear-driven hatchback wants one thing, whilst a large luxury SUV wants something slightly different.
Below you'll find four new sizes, and the kind of car that they are suited to.
If your size isn't here, the standard CrossClimate 3 covers a far wider range and we've said where it's a good alternative option near the end.
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Very quickly, the Michelin CrossClimate 3 Sport is an ultra-high-performance all-season tyre.
Rated A for wet grip on the European tyre label and carrying the 3PMSF snowflake accreditation for it’s winter capabilities.
Two technologies which are key to the performance of the tyre are:
That Dynamic Response Technology ties in very closely with the large SUVs fitments. They have historically been fitted with “comfort biased” touring tyres – as those were the tyres rated to carry them. The result was a vehicle that could accelerate hard, but felt vague when asked it to change direction.
235/40 R20 96Y XL
The Born VZ runs 240kW - 326PS - through the rear wheels and can reach 62mph in around 5.6 seconds. For intents and purposes, it is a hot hatch in all but name.
Due to this, it is a car where the driver is likely to appreciate the responsiveness of a tyre, as the steering feedback matters as much as the load capacity.
The tyre's dry handling credentials are already established: in Tyre Reviews' ten-tyre all-season group it recorded the highest subjective dry handling score in the field, alongside the best wet braking and the best rolling resistance.
235/55 R20 105Y XL - Lexus RX
295/40 R20 110Y XL - Audi Q7
Two cars with the same brief, but very different footprints.
Both are large, heavy, refined SUVs designed for comfort. They are unlikely to work well with a tyre that does not deliver both a comfortable ride and high end performance.
This is where independent testing comes in and helps to showcase the CC3 Sport abilities to deliver. In the AutoView 2026 all-season test they fitted 255/45 R19 on a BMW 520i - and the CrossClimate 3 Sport won it outright.
It took the best dry braking at 121 ft, the highest cornering speed at 45.9 mph, and the top subjective score for dry handling.
It also took the best subjective comfort score in that test, and shared the lowest measured noise.
That combo is one of the biggest arguments for fitting a UHP tyre to a luxury SUV.
For the Q7, 295/40 R20 is the widest of the new sizes. And 235/55 R20 for the RX is the tallest.
275/50 R20 113Y XL
The heaviest car here by a clear margin. Hyundai UK's own specification puts the Ioniq 9 at 2,470 to 2,744 kg kerb weight, with a gross vehicle weight of up to 3,320 kg, and the 427PS Performance AWD reaches 60mph in 5.2 seconds.
Three tonnes, seven seats and a five-second 0–60 is a genuinely 21st century set of demands to put on a set of tyres.
It is also the fitment where getting the tyre right matters most. A tyre must be suitable for the use the vehicle is being put to. On a car with a payload of over 700kg, regularly loaded with people and luggage, that is not a box-ticking exercise.
The 275/50 R20 is rated to carry up to 1,150kg per tyre – with a speed-rating of up to 186mph. Way beyond anything the car will ask of it.
There are two clearcut situations where the CC3 version is a better option.
Perhaps the most straightforward - where wheels are smaller than 18 inches.
The Sport starts at 18in and these new fitments are all 20in.
In tyre sizes below 18 inches, the standard CrossClimate 3 covers a wider range of tyre sizes - and is an excellent tyre in its own right.
The other reason is around snow performance. In Tyre Reviews' 2026/27 group test - the standard CrossClimate 3 won the snow braking, snow traction and snow handling section of the test.
So, if you live and drive somewhere rural or northern and winter driving is a real part of your year, the standard CrossClimate 3 is a solid choice.
Running a dedicated summer tyre and a dedicated winter set means two full purchases, two fitting appointments every year, and storage for four wheels you aren't using for six months at a time.
A single set of CrossClimate 3 Sport removes all three and keeps the car on a tyre rated A for wet grip in every month of the year rather than half of them.
On an EV there is a second saving on top. Best-in-field rolling resistance is range you keep, on every journey, for as long as the tyre is on the car.
Shop Michelin CrossClimate 3 SportPerformance figures come from independent testing by Tyre Reviews and AutoView and link to it. Michelin's claims about its own tyres are drawn from michelin.co.uk and identified as Michelin's claims. Vehicle weights and outputs come from manufacturer specifications where available. The legal requirement on tyre suitability is the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986.
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