Pirelli launches Cinturato Winter 2

The latest Pirelli winter tyre for mid-sizes cars and CUVs has arrived, and the tyre maker reports that the Cinturato Winter 2 debuts a number of “important new technologies” that it has pioneered, such as sipes on the tread pattern that become longer throughout the tyre’s life, thereby capturing more snow to provide more grip. Pirelli is launching the Cinturato Winter 2 in 36 sizes for 16- to 20-inch rim diameters and promotes the tyre as a product that “offers extra control in snowy and wet conditions” and “market-leading performance in all sorts of winter weather.”

The aforementioned extendable sipes become longer as the tread wears down thanks to the tyre’s 3D structure, transforming themselves from a linear configuration into a zig-zag shape. Pirelli says this increases their overall area and efficiency, giving the Cinturato Winter 2 extra performance in snowy, wet and dry conditions even when worn. This is said to result in a longer useful life compared with the previous-generation tyre, while the approximately 43 metres of sipes result in 30 per cent better roadholding on snow compared with the Pirelli Sottozero 3.

Higher mileage, lower rolling resistance

In addition, Pirelli states that the Cinturato Winter 2 delivers superior mileage to its previous generation of winter tyres thanks to a new compound, tread pattern, and structure. It developed the Cinturato Winter 2 compound using a system of liquid polymers that can improve performance in wet and snowy conditions, following a Pirelli-patented process derived from the company’s extensive motorsport experience. This process maximises the uniformity of the components within the compound, enhancing the tyre’s performance for longer on snowy or wet surfaces,

During development of the Cinturato Winter 2, Pirelli says it paid particular attention to environmental sustainability in order to help reduce fuel consumption and harmful emissions. Rolling resistance is lower than that of the previous-generation tyre and most sizes have an EU tyre label rating of B or C for fuel efficiency. The tread pattern design also minimises road noise.

The development team decided upon the final tread pattern through the help of a virtual development process aimed at optimising pressure over the contact patch. They started with the design of the grooves to guarantee efficient water expulsion and thus allow control of the car even in aquaplaning situations, and continued with the definition and placement of the sipes to ensure maximum grip on snow.

No puncture worries with Seal Inside

Selected Pirelli Cinturato Winter 2 dimensions are available with Seal Inside technology that allows a vehicle to continue driving even in the event of a puncture up to four millimetres. A mousse inside the tyre forms a seal that wraps itself around the foreign object as soon as it penetrates the tyre, preventing air from escaping and the tyre from losing pressure. When the object is extracted, the material seals up the resulting hole.

Elect dimensions available

In order to cater to the growing market for electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids, Pirelli is offering an Elect-marked Cinturato Winter 2 in selected sizes. It describes Elect as a package of technologies that bring together compound, structure, and tread pattern to guarantee low rolling resistance and maximise battery range. “It adds reduced road noise to benefit from the quiet and comfort of electric cars, as well as instantly available grip to deliver the power and torque typical of electric engines, even from low revs,” elaborates Pirelli.

Cinturato range renewal completed

The new Cinturato Winter 2 replaces the first-generation Cinturato Winter in sizes ranging between 16 and 18 inches, as well as the aftermarket Sottozero 3. It complements the P Zero Winter, Pirelli’s winter 2020-launched tyre for more powerful cars with sizes greater than 18 inches.

The introduction of the Cinturato Winter 2 concludes Pirelli’s complete renewal of the Cinturato family, following the presentation of the latest Cinturato P7 summer tyre in 2020 and the new Cinturato All Season SF2 at the beginning of this year.

Pirelli Cinturato Winter 2 (Image: Pirelli)