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To meet severe legislation limits and reduce cold start emissions, car manufacturers use improved engine control technologies, supports with higher cell densities, lower thermal mass, turbulent like flows, and bring the three-way catalysts (TWC) closer and closer to the engine. These catalysts show long term durability and thermal stability at temperatures higher than 1000 °C. Thus PGM carriers are extensively investigated to assure high activity and long term durability with low PGM loading. Hence Rhodia has developed a new generation of hybrid Zirconia oxides. These materials show phase stability and thermal stability at temperatures higher than 1100°C, and keep PGM available after harsh aging, as even at very low PGM loadings. In this paper we focus first, on stability and catalytic performance of laboratory aged PGM powder model catalysts. We show that there is a strong relationship between catalytic activity and the nature of the PGM/support interaction.