Pirelli launches new Cinturato Winter 3
Pirelli has launched the Cinturato Winter 3, a new high-performance winter tyre designed for saloons and crossovers, capable of offering safety and control in winter conditions.
Starting with snow performance, tested by independent bodies Dekra and TÜV, which also verified the excellent wet performance.
The new product ranked first on snow for braking, traction, and handling, receiving the TÜV Premium Quality Mark. On wet surfaces, it tops the charts for aquaplaning resistance and handling, with an A-B classification on the European label for wet grip across the entire range.
Acoustic comfort is also guaranteed, with low rolling noise emissions, as confirmed by the European label, while the tread pattern ensures lasting performance and higher mileage compared to the previous generation.
Pirelli says the versatility of the new tyre is the result of a development process that achieved the goal of reconciling historically opposing characteristics, thanks to Virtual Development techniques, such as mileage and aquaplaning resistance, both improved compared to earlier products. Virtual development not only allowed a significant reduction in the use of physical prototypes through increasingly sophisticated simulation of the variables, but also produced more precise results while minimising development times.
The main update concerned the tread pattern: the central zig-zag channel improves water evacuation, the optimised sipes and Snow Keeper Teeth on the blocks trap snow for better snow-on-snow grip, without penalising wet performance.
The compound was developed thanks to experience gained with the P Zero Winter 2, an ultra-high performance winter tyre, winner of several comparative tests. The Dual-Core Polymer used, features a dual-mode structure that increases grip in different conditions: high mobility at low temperatures provides snow adhesion without compromising grip on wet or dry surfaces. In addition, excellent wear resistance further extends the working range of the tyre.
Virtualisation techniques were also applied to material development, thanks to the Virtual Compounder: a tool, developed by Pirelli and based on generative AI, to accelerate the identification of the best material combinations for new compounds, allowing more precise results and maximising process efficiency.
Tested for summer
While the use of virtual methods has been expanded, physical testing activities have also evolved with new methods and facilities to experiment at different times of the year, obtaining more accurate results faster.
In addition to the testing laboratories in Bicocca, a key role in this phase was played by the Pirelli Sottozero Centre, a centre of excellence in Swedish Lapland, where the R&D department tests tyres on different surfaces, from snow to ice, all year round.
Inaugurated in 2017, the facility extends over 125 hectares with 19 tracks on snow, ice, wet, and dry surfaces. The Cinturato Winter 3 was the first product to benefit from the most recent Indoor facility, recently inaugurated in the proving ground area, which allows replication of winter temperatures, conditions, and surfaces even in summer.
To ensure maximum effectiveness on specific vehicles, between physical and virtual tests, the tyre was tested on over 10 of the most representative car models on the market.
Already available on the replacement market with over 35 products, the Cinturato Winter 3 range covers sizes from 16- to 20-inches and also features technologies such as Elect, which allows an increase of up to 10 per cent in the range of electric and plug-in hybrid cars and adopts solutions specifically designed for the characteristics of these powertrains.
The Pirelli Noise Cancelling System (PNCS) is also available, reducing rolling noise in the cabin thanks to a special sound-absorbing material applied inside the tyre.
The Cinturato Winter 3 is part of Pirelli’s winter range, alongside the P Zero Winter 2 for the highest-performing cars and the Scorpion Winter 2 for high-performance SUVs.
A range that responds with different products to the growing demand for specialised winter tyres in sizes from 18-inches, typical of higher level segments.