Pirelli launches all-season in Europe

TAORMINA, Italy (Feb. 11, 2015) — Pirelli Tyre S.p.A. has launched its first all-season tire for the European market, a self-sealing version of its Cinturato passenger radial.

The company said the tire is designed to appeal to a range of buyers whose situation doesn't merit winter tires but who do encounter winter conditions on a limited basis.

To launch the tire, Pirelli staged a ride-and-drive event on Sicily, which offers four-season climates at certain times of the year.

The Cinturato All Season is aimed at owners of city cars who aren't looking for extreme performance and who don't drive long distances, Pirelli said, as well as at women and young drivers and for the second family car.

It's also the first aftermarket product offered with Pirelli's “Seal Inside” puncture-sealing technology, an elastomeric innerliner coating that is designed to seal punctures up to 1/8-inch in diameter.

The All Season is being offered in a range of 15-, 16- and 17-inch versions, designed primarily for recent model-year cars with small to medium engines. Pirelli anticipates having 21 sizes available by year-end.

The tire maker stressed at the launch that it continues to recommend dedicated winter tires for performance cars and extreme conditions, but said the idea of an all-season tire is perceived as more of a “service” that makes life easier, especially for those who live in large cities, where winter conditions are never that extreme.

Pirelli said it has achieved all-season grip through the use of a directional tread pattern, which optimizes water expulsion through two wide longitudinal and lateral channels, reducing the risk of aquaplaning. The designers also use 3D sipe technology and a silica-reinforced SBR compound, which provide sufficient snow grip to warrant the use of the M+S and mountain/snowflake symbols on the sidewall.

Pirelli said research shows all-season tires represent about 4 percent of the European replacement market, but sales are expected to grow at double-digit rates through 2018.

Pirelli's Seal Inside technology helps prevent air loss two ways: the sealant layer forms an airtight seal around the penetrating object while it's embedded in the tire, and then it fills the void left when the object is removed.

Pirelli said research shows that 85 percent of cases where tires lose air pressure are caused by penetration from foreign objects.