Pirelli says there is no performance drop-off sometimes seen by using winter tyres in hot conditions, with its new Cinturato All Season product.
The Italian tyre manufacturer made the observation at the launch of the Cinturato on Sicily, whose climate in the very early part of the year, offers valuable testing regimes in both warm and extremely cold conditions.
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As well as winter performance in summer, Pirelli also maintains its latest product works effectively in non-extreme winter conditions typical of towns and cities.
“In fact, the Cinturato delivers its best performance in those conditions where having either a summer tyre or a winter tyre would be a compromise,” noted Pirelli, which is also offering its Seal Inside technology for a premium, allowing motorists to continue after foreign object penetration of up to 4mm diameter.
“It [Cinturato] will be positioned 20% higher than the summer tyre [and] will be available in the Pirelli dealer network from 15 February,” said Pirelli general director of operations, Gregorio Borgo at the launch event near the Italian town of Taormina.
“Price is EUR330 (US$374) standard [for a tyre set] and EUR365 for the Seal Inside [and] we will have 21 sizes. Our recommendation is to keep fitting summer [tyres] in the summer season and winter in the winter season, but we have an emerging group of tyre users, who need the tyre 365 days a year.
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By GlobalData“This product, we already started to sell it in Italy and Germany…and we will enlarge this product to France and the UK.
“We have an opportunity because the UK is not really a seasonal market. Even the UK, we can sell it successfully. Then, we are going to enlarge to Eastern Europe, to the Balkan area, to Poland and to Turkey, but in the second phase.”
The tyre manufacturer adds it continues to recommend its winter products for performance vehicles and extreme conditions, but notes it is responding to a particular segment of consumers, who prefer not to change wheels due to their pattern of usage.
As such the Cinturato will be aimed at drivers not covering major distances or those with performance cars.
The Italian supplier is also providing its Seal Inside technology as a premium option, permitting cars to be driven after a puncture and with what it maintains is no loss of pressure from foreign object damage up to the 4mm diameter.
Pirelli says 85% of cases where tyres lose pressure are caused by penetration from foreign objects.
It notes the Seal Inside option can be used on any type of vehicle as it does not require specific rims or a tyre pressure monitoring system.
