Pirelli have announced their latest generation all season tyre, the Pirelli Cinturato All Season SF2 (SnowFlake 2.)
As a result of climate change, where winters are getting less extreme in many parts of Europe, the interest in all season tyres is growing year by year.
Historically tyre sales in most of mainland Europe have been split 60% summer and 40% winter tyres, but the market for all seasons is growing rapidly, with just 3% in 2014, 14% in 2020, and a predicted 20% by 2025. Naturally these numbers are for areas of Europe with milder winters, if you live in an alpine area a dedicated summer and winter tyres are still the best option.
The below graph shows the current sales percentage of all season tyres, with growth in all regions.
The type of customer shopping for all season tyres is usually a premium customer, and mainly own premium cars. The priority of these customers is peace of mind, which means compliance with winter tyre legislation, safety in all seasons, good tyre life, and avoidance of stress due to annual tyre changes. These categories are where all season tyres excel.
Addressing the shortcomings of the outgoing Pirelli Cinturato All Season, the new Cinturato All Season SF2 comes with a number of impressive improvements.
All sizes of the new tyre are marked with the 3 peak mountain snowflake symbol, which denotes it as a legal winter tyre in areas where they are a legal requirement and every size has a strong improvement in wet grip, with the eu wet grip score as B across 100% of the range.
The Testing
Confident in their new product, Pirelli instructed two independent testing companies grade the new tyre.
The first, DEKRA, graded the tyre number 1 in safety and number 1 in sustainability when compared directly to the Michelin CrossClimate+, Goodyear Vector 4 Seasons Gen 3, and Bridgestone WeatherControl A005 EVO, with the Pirelli having the best snow handling, lowest noise, lowest rolling resistance, best dry braking and best combined braking scores of the average of its competitors.
A second independent test body, TUV, awarded the new Cinturato All Season SF2 the prestigious performance mark. This certifies the new tyre compares favorably with other premium tyres, which for all season tyres means having the best overall combination of wet braking, straight aquaplaning, wet handling, snow acceleration, snow braking, noise, rolling resistance and dry braking tests.
New tyre technology
How does the new tyre achieve all of this? Pirelli claims to be one of the highest investors in R&D per tyre sold, which has led to several new technologies for the All Season SF2.
The tread pattern has adaptive technology with liniar sipes to work in both summer and winter conditions. In each contact patch, which is the approximate size of 4 credit cars, ther are 3.8 meters of linear edges to help the tyre cut through snow.
The new sipes also have 3d locking technology, and while this isn't a new technology, it's very effective at increasing block stiffness in the dry and wet, improving grip and dynamic behavior.
On the compound side there is a new double peak polymer, which looks to be very useful for an all season tyre as it allows the rubber to have two different operating temperature peaks, which gives the tyre a broader working range of temperatures.
Other impressive numbers are:
- 50% more mileage over the previous tyre.
- -2db lower nose compared to previous tyre and -0.9db vs average of best competitors.
- 10% better aquaplaning over the previous tyre. At 80kph, which is 14.2 litres a second, for each tyre.
The Pirelli Cinturato All Season SF2 will cover 95% of the EU market by having 65 sizes from 15 inches to 20 inches, and in various sizes will be available in runflat, seal inside, Pirelli noise cancelling system, and the elect mark for electric vehicles.
I'm also very excited to announce that Tyre Reviews will be testing this in the 2021 Tyre Reviews all season tyre test, let's hope it lives up to the hype! Stay tuned for the full results later this year!
Hello!
I'm tyre seller in Poland.
Most all of my clients ask for all-season tyres, before they select new tyre.
Trend is growing fast. And I think it's very good.
That's great to hear :)
Sure it is! I think in few years, season tyres will be good for demanding customers only :-)
Hello everyone and TyreReviews team! Your reviews were very helpful for me for tyre choosing, thank you! My only question is how many km can you make with those tyres with average, comfort city driving? Thank you!
It really depends on many factors but around 30,000 km is likely to be the median
Only 30.000 km? Which all season tyres has the best mileage? Or top 5?
Look at the Auto bild test on this site
Does anybody know what the sipe depth is on these? Is it full depth so that they still work on snow at 2mm (like a Michelin CC does) or is it 4mm like a winter tyre? Makes a big difference to how long they will be useable in real life.
I've been told you will see the sipes until the TWI, so 1.6mm
Excellent, thanks very much.
I saw in the Tyre Reviews All Season test that these came second to the new Michelin CC 2 but that isn't available in my size - 255/35 R19, only the previous CC+. I'm currently on Vredestein Quatrac 5's. They've been good on an Audi A5 Quattro but I think both the CC+ and the SF2 would be better than the Vreds, plus both would still work in winter down to the TWI.
Would you rate the new Pirelli SF2 above the old CC+? I'm in the UK but drive regularly to the French Alps in winter.
From my testing, yes, but I like to see a range of testing in different sizes and conditions and some user reviews before being 100% sure!
Have you heard anything about how the new Vredestein Quatrac performs when worn?
Michelin have the following data about the CC2 and a how few other tyres perform when worn but Quatrac and Pirelli SF2 not included.
"(2) Snow braking test - Snow braking tests, conducted by TÜV SÜD Product Service on Michelin's request, between 30 and 10 kph, February 2021 (on new and 2mm buffed), on dimension 205/55 R16 94V XL on VW Golf 7 comparing MICHELIN CrossClimate² (new : 100%-worn : 100%) versus MICHELIN CrossClimate+ (new : 95%-worn : 88,1%) ; BRIDGESTONE Weather Control A005 EVO (new : 92,4% - worn : 70,9%) ; CONTINENTAL AllSeasonContact (new : 99,5% - worn : 96,4%) ; GOODYEAR Vector 4Seasons Gen-3 (new : 97,6% - worn : 94,1%) ; PIRELLI Cinturato All Season Plus (new : 81,9% - worn : 77,0%).
(3) Snow traction test - Snow traction tests, conducted by TÜV SÜD Product Service on Michelin's request, February 2021 (on new and on 2mm buffed), on dimension 205/55 R16 94V XL on VW Golf 7 comparing MICHELIN CrossClimate² (new : 100% - worn : 100%) versus MICHELIN CrossClimate+ (new : 95,1% - worn : 87,5%) ; BRIDGESTONE Weather Control A005 EVO (new : 84,6% - worn : 65,2%) ; CONTINENTAL AllSeasonContact (new : 95,6% - worn : 91,9%) ; GOODYEAR Vector 4Seasons Gen-3 (new : 94,6% - worn : 90,6%) ; PIRELLI Cinturato All Season Plus (new : 72,0% - worn : 54,2%).
(4) Wet braking tests - Wet braking tests, conducted by TÜV SÜD Product Service on Michelin's request, between 80 and 20 kph, October 2020-April 2021 (worn means when worn on machine (buffed) to the depth of Tread Wear Indicator according to European regulation: ECE R30r03f), on dimension 205/55 R16 94V XL on VW Golf 7 comparing MICHELIN CrossClimate² (new : 100% - worn : 100%) versus MICHELIN CrossClimate+ (new : 98,2% - worn : 101,1%) ; BRIDGESTONE Weather Control A005 EVO (new : 103,2% - worn : 99,5%) ; CONTINENTAL AllSeasonContact (new : 94,9% - worn : 96,1%) ; GOODYEAR Vector 4Seasons Gen-3 (new : 95% - worn : 93,5%) ; PIRELLI Cinturato All Season Plus (new : 96,7% - worn : 89%)"
No I've not, it's sadly not something that gets tested often
I bought these tyres, pretty happy with them so far. Performance in wet and dry seems good. Also they are very silent and feel grippy.
These are my third new style all seasons. I started with the cross climates on a Mazda 6 1.8 2003. A couple of times in very heavy snow and never felt slippery.
Second weather control 005 evo on a bmw 325xi 2007. During wet and dry happy with the tyres. Wet grip was great. but in the snow very slippery even with four wheel drive. And on a bit of slushy ice road pretty much useless. When I applied the brakes the car just didn’t stop lucky no accidents. But I was happy I didn’t encounter the the same amount of snow as I did with the CCs
So now the SF2s on a BMW 420i 2017. Rain and dry no problem like I said they feel the most sticky of the three so far. They are the quietest of the three. Hopefully they will behave better on the snow than the 005s. I noticed that you should make sure that the tyre pressure is high when at the low side they wil cup.
I will give an update when I encountered snow
Thanks for the update :D
I will stay with my Nokian all season A AND B silent 68 DB great am so happy the grip is great, but I have to say we have the most advanced tarmac in the world in the Netherlands but for me always Nokian I also looked at the Pirrel tires, but after a few hours of testing was not happy at all, corners were horrible noise nightmare brakes dry okay but in wet nightmare too. Nokia's silicon compound makes the tires so quiet and I have 90,000 km warranty
I will stay with my Nokian all season and a silent 68 DB great am so happy the grip is great, but I have to say we have the most advanced tarmac in the world in the Netherlands but for me always Nokian I also looked at the Pirrel tires, but after a few hours of testing was not happy at all, corners were horrible noise nightmare brakes dry okay but in wet nightmare too. Nokia's silicon compound makes the tires so quiet and I have 90,000 km warranty
I am a premium customer with a premium car (2009 Dacia Sandero).
Wet braking B. :/
Difference between A and B is 3 meters of stopping distance (not sure about the speed).
I am actually the most interested in dry braking and handling of all season tyres. In that aspect, is CrossClimate+ better?
I'm testing it against the CC2 this year, but won't have finished until September
Thanks. That's OK. I won't be buying new tyres until the next year.
Wet braking is mostly tested in 80 km/h. If you have to chose until June 2021, take Michelin CC+, otherwise later on its successor CC 2 with improved wet and snow performance. Budgetwise good alternative: Hankook last generation of All seasons, approved by tests.
My brother and sister have the old Pirelli all season on their small cars and both did impressive mileage on them. The only complaint was the increased noise compared to the summer tyre mounted before. So this tyre looks promising, can't wait to see your test!
Hi,
SF2 seems to be the updated version of SF, tested lately by Autobild:
https://www.autobild.de/bil...
"50% more mileage over the previous tyre"...well, I've been rolling hard on the previous (Cinturato Allseason plus) for the last 35 000 km or so, and they still have 5.5mm left on the front ( front wheel drive).
The new one seems very promising.
As far as I'm aware, the SF never actually made it to public sale. I'm testing this tyre this year, too, it certainly looks promising :)
Please compare dry performance to the CrossClimate+.
The real story is much more exciting/detective. It looks Pirelli (or somebody from their test drivers team?) has silently released a very limited test series of SF tyres just in the size 205/55 R16 to the market in the spring of 2020 (why to costly destroy them all after internal tests, when you can still sell the not used ones, no?...), where such sample was coincindentally anonymously bought (for testing) by, among others, the Autobild testers... And the result was the 12th place from the 32 tyres tested...Following was an update to SF2 and official coming out...Source: https://reifenpresse.de/202...
Interesting. Where is the source? :3