Tyre Test: CEAT Milaze X3
Words: Aniruddha A Rangnekar
Images: Gaurav S Thombre
The Milaze series of tyres has been in the market for a while now and CEAT designed it primarily for hatchbacks keeping the rough and bumpy road conditions in mind. Recently they introduced a new tyre to this line up called the Milaze X3 and, according to CEAT, it takes up where the previous model in the series left off with better performance than not only its predecessor but also its immediate competition.
CEAT recently sent over a set of these tyres to be fitted on our Hyundai Grand i10. The size we received is the same as the OE fitment on the car – 165/65 R14. The Milaze X3 is an endurance tyre with a claimed life of 1,00,000km making it well-suited to tackle the poor roads we face. It features a higher groove depth for increased tread life with additional resistance to external damage due to a higher rubber gauge.
At the heart of the tyres is a compound technology using hardwearing rubber that has been designed to give optimum resistance over other tyres on offer in the market. CEAT has included more rubber along the centre line of the tyre, a feature keeping road conditions in mind with more material taking a longer period of time to wear away. This should also ideally make the Milaze X3 tyres more resistant to punctures – an attractive benefit for people who value hassle free miles above all else. I can say that during the testing of about 300km done after installing the tyres, I’ve come away happy with the comfortable driving experience these tyres offer. They offer sufficient cornering grip, even on twisty roads. Braking distance has definitely reduced over the tyres being used on the car earlier, making it safer. The Milaze X3 tyres are designed to meet the needs of people who place an emphasis on endurance, rather than performance and the tyre combines comfort of passengers with outstanding durability. The tyre uses optimised design and sidewall construction to offer passengers a well cushioned ride.
We haven’t yet tested them in the wet, but traction in the dry is good, with low road noise. Our initial tests also revealed a slight increase in fuel efficiency but we will reserve judgement on that after a more extensive test. The same goes for its long-wearing properties and we will bring you updates to that as we log more miles on the tyres.
What we can say for sure is that the tyres feel more secure, compared to the old set that came off. Grip through corners is good, with impressive (for the Grand i10’s capabilities) cornering bolstered by the dual compound construction. It features a tread pattern designed to give optimised contact area with the road surface in order to achieve less wear, resulting in superior tyre life.
The other good factor of these tyres is the low road noise. The smartly designed tread pattern helps in minimising tyre noise intrusion into the cabin, irrespective of the surface. This makes the drive more enjoyable and peaceful as well.
New generation wear resistance compound and superior load distribution ensures even wear on the Milaze X3. It is designed in a way that all tyres will have uniform load distribution across the tread, which avoids uneven wear due to misalignment. Overall we’d say these are very good tyres for commuting that should last and last and if you want one set for a long duration, consider these, as they are hassle free too. Fit and forget about it, as they can go on for a lakh of kilometres according to the company’s claim.
The Milaze x3 tyres are available in rim sizes ranging from 12 to 15 inches for a range of hatchbacks, sedans and even MUVs. The prices of the CEAT Milaze x3 start from Rs 2200 going up to Rs 6000 per tyre with the 165/65 R14 size we had installed on our Hyundai Grand i10 costing Rs 3000 per tyre.
