The choice of winter tires is one of the main issues facing the modern car owner in the process of operating his "iron horse". After all, the safety of the driver and his passengers directly depends on which tires are installed on the car. Now in stores there is a great variety of tires for every taste and budget. At our disposal was the novelty of the upcoming winter season from the Italian company Pirelli - the Ice Zero tire.
The new tire has already managed to debunk the myth that a tire developed by a company from sunny Italy cannot claim serious results in a harsh Russian winter. For example, in the test of the Russian edition of Autoreview, the tire from Pirelli took , only slightly behind the leaders from Nokian and Continental, as well as the second-place tire Gislaved. At the same time, the Ice Zero model showed excellent performance on ice, as well as on dry and wet pavement.
Pirelli Ice Zero is the main novelty from the Italian company in the winter season 2013/2014. According to Pirelli, this tire was developed from the ground up and is the first studded tire in the P Zero range.
And so, the new Pirelli Ice Zero tire is the first studded model from the P Zero collection. This tire is positioned as a completely new generation of Pirelli winter studded tires. It should be noted that a winter tire, like a tire used in motorsport, must have many compromises that provide grip on completely different types of surfaces, ranging from dry asphalt to bare ice.
The Italian company especially notes its 40-year experience in the development of tires for rally, so the developments gained in motorsport are actively used in the creation of “civilian” tires for use on public roads.
One of the key features of the Pirelli Ice Zero tire is the new Dual Stud stud technology with a double core, effectively doubling the stud's performance and improving traction on ice. That is, one Dual Stud spike is almost equal in efficiency to two spikes of a conventional design. Note that the Pirelli Ice Zero tire uses a unique 14-row studding, thanks to which it was possible to comply with the standards of all countries without losing the quality of the tire on slippery surfaces.
The new stud, made using the patented Dual Stud technology, features improved traction on ice due to the double core.
Snow handling has been improved by optimizing the number of sipes, the number of which now varies depending on the tire width. For example, tires wider than 265 mm have more sipes.
An important role in the behavior of a winter tire is also played by the composition of the rubber compound, which must maintain its integrity and performance over a wide temperature range. The engineers were able to solve this problem in Pirelli Ice Zero by increasing the number of links in the molecular line of the compound. This made it possible to maintain efficiency, both at low temperatures and in the case of its increase.
Pirelli Ice Zero has a larger contact patch and a larger number of sipes, which contributes to better tire behavior on wet snow, slush, as well as wet and dry pavement.
In order to achieve the best performance on dry roads, the Ice Zero has an optimized profile to increase the contact patch and improve grip on dry surfaces.
Soon we will install our tires on the car and will be able to talk about the impressions received during the direct operation of the Pirelli Ice Zero tire.
The Ice Zero model is available in 31 sizes from 16" to 21" in diameter for both mono and all-wheel drive vehicles. Depending on the size, Russian prices range from 4,800 to 15,000 rubles.
Continuation.
Studded tires from Italy? Yeah, I'm changing to Chianti from Finland. From the aspen, oranges will not be born! Sangiovese grapes do not grow beyond the Arctic Circle, and there is almost no ice in the Apennines ...
But the hot southerners from the Pirelli company nevertheless strive to catch up and overtake the Germans, French and Finns in studding. Another attempt - Pirelli Ice Zero.
I swear, I will not leave Russia until I prove to you that the Lancer Evolution on winter asphalt behaves best on Pirelli tires!
The head of the Russian representative office of Pirelli Carlo Costa, as they say, wound up. I just told him over dinner how much I love Continental WinterViking studded tires. Yes, a third of the spikes have fallen out over the past winter and there are two side hernias, but my Evik has driven five seasons on this set!
And over the years, I have only become stronger in the idea that studded tires are for the city. Exactly! For the first time, the fact that “studs” outperform “Velcro” when braking on asphalt, I noticed about ten years ago, analyzing the results of our comparative tire tests. They contrasted sharply with the opinion prevailing among professionals that the spikes, they say, slide on a hard surface. But judging by the numbers of our measurements ... Yes, there were outsiders among the studded models, but only among the "rootless" brands. And the leaders were Continental, Nokian, Michelin - with spikes!
Therefore, last winter beyond the Arctic Circle, it was extremely interesting for me to find out what the developer of the new Pirelli Ice Zero model, an Italian, thinks about it ...
And here is not an Italian: Ice Zero was created by the Dutchman Jaap Leendertse. A computer engineering graduate of Delft University, he worked on tires at the German technical centers Bridgestone/Firestone and Goodyear before moving to Milan exactly two years ago. I ask if you like it there. What a question, replies: the blessed south, Italy, the poet's dream.
At the same time, we are sitting in the epicenter of the most winter fairy tale. R-r-hand Peak. It makes you want to savor, stretch this “rrrr” at the beginning of the name of the amazing Ruka Peak hill under the polar town of Kuusamo, which is east of Rovaniemi. A lone high hill is open to all winds: here you are not a plain, here the climate is different - and the Finnish firs, in the lowland, simply powdered with snow, here they are densely covered with snow. And the hotel stands at the top of the peak, surrounded by strange curved silent white statues…
Yes, on the one hand, the stud protrudes slightly above the tread and, as it were, lifts part of the rubber, “turning it off” from the process, Jaap argues in response to my questions. - But on the other hand… In order for the tires to work well at low temperatures, the compound must be made softer, and the tread must be cut with many sipes. All this worsens the behavior of the tire on asphalt. Spikes give me several advantages. First, they strengthen the tread. And secondly, on ice they provide the lion's share of grip properties and thanks to this, the compound can be made harder. It turns out that a studded tire outperforms a non-studded Scandinavian type both on asphalt and on ice!
Later, Jaap sent me the exact figures for comparative measurements. If we take the results of the Pirelli Carving Edge studded tires as 100%, then when braking on dry pavement at + 3 ° C, the Velcro Pirelli Ice Control lengthens the braking distance by 5%! True, non-studded tires of the European type Pirelli Snow Control S.3 are expected to slow down better - by 13%. But when braking on ice, the hard Snow Control loses as much as 25% to the “spikes”! A "soft" Ice Control - 15%.
So it turns out that "for Russian conditions with periodic extremely low temperatures, but with a predominance of urban driving on asphalt, the best tire is studded." These are not my words - Jaap said it.
What about asphalt wear?
There is such a thing. That is why spikes are banned throughout Western Europe. And even the Scandinavians, who can’t do without studs, were forbidden to sell tires produced later than July 1 of this year with more than 50 studs per linear meter of tread. That is, for a 16-inch tire, this is a maximum of 96 spikes.
.jpg)
The 16-inch Ice Zero tire has 130 "double" studs. The tread pattern is completely different from that of the Carving Edge models, and is more reminiscent of the Nokian of the previous generation - an “ornament” of the central part plus transversely oriented shoulder blocks. Numerous sipe sipes New compound with long molecular chains designed to increase traction on wet and snow-covered surfaces
The patented Pirelli “double” stud bites into the ice with two “sharp” peaks during acceleration, and with a “common” flat edge of a tungsten carbide carbide insert during braking. But in the transverse direction, the "double" spike works like a single one. Trapezoidal body guarantees orientation in the tread
0 / 0
Then why does the Pirelli Ice Zero have 130 studs?
It turns out that the same Scandinavians made an exception: if a tire with a large number of studs successfully passes a special test for coating wear, it is allowed for sale. The test is full-scale: the car repeatedly drives over calibrated granite tiles, which are weighed before and after the tests. If the weight loss after the test is below a certain value, then the wear is normal.
Evil tongues said that this test was invented by tire manufacturers from Nokian, they are conducting it at the Finnish Test World test site, which means ... But the Italians also successfully passed the “wear test”! And with spikes not simple, but double.
This is a new word in the race of spike weapons. First, the Finns from Nokian came up with a square-section carbide insert, then the Germans went even further - remember the “diamond” spike on Continental tires? And at Pirelli, the insert resembles ... a bat. "Look, people, I'm Batman!" The dual part works during acceleration, and the straight part - during braking. And only in the transverse direction the brainchild of Jaap Leenderts and his colleagues turns into an ordinary spike.
And look what a powerful “underwater part” of the spike! It is closed only at the factory - it is impossible to stud Ice Zero on the side. Moreover, unlike the Germans, Pirelli did without glue - such a spike is sitting in its nest dead, and there should be no fallout, as is the case with the current Pirelli Carving Edge tires.
The previous (already) generation Bentley Flying Spur sedan is excellent on ice! Long wheelbase, powerful biturbo engine - and permanent all-wheel drive with half power distribution between the axles
How do new tires perform?
Alas, they only gave a little ride on them: acceleration, “snake” and braking on the Audi A8. Information - zero. But I managed to spend the whole day at the Bentley Power on Ice school - however, the “school” Continental GT and Flying Spur were “shod” in regular Pirelli Sottozero tires, studded specifically for ice classes. What a thrill to drive these huge heavy vehicles sideways under traction, shifting them from skid to skid! Moreover, the grip at the “long spike” on the ice is such that sometimes, immediately after switching the “automatic” up, there is not enough traction even from the V8 biturbo engine on the new Conti GT. And the asymmetric center differential on the new generation Bentley fared worse - with a 40:60 thrust distribution in favor of the rear axle, the Continental GT is not as smooth and predictable in sliding as the good old Flying Spur with its 50:50 symmetry.
But all this, including dog sled rides, is lyrics. What about physics? How do the new Ice Zero tires perform, will they be better than Continental, Nokian and Michelin? After all, if in the first years the new studded Pirelli tires perform on a par with the leaders in our tests, then they are slowly losing ground: competitors are improving. For example, the well-known Pirelli Carving Edge tires were among the winners four years ago, and last year they were already inferior to them.
While Carving Edge tires are still on the scene, the Ice Zero completes the range, debuting in the most prestigious sizes from 16 to 21 inches. Oleg Rastegaev will tell you how "Ice Zero" proved to be in our test in the next issue of the Autoreview. As for me, then ... I would gladly put Pirelli on the EvoIX. But only if they are no worse than Conti, on the most critical surface for me - winter asphalt covered with a snow-salt film. And if the Russian market is really so important for Pirelli, as Carlo Costa says, then I think that the developer Jaap Leendertse will still have work to modernize the studs, the compound, and the tread pattern ... The road conditions in Russia are painfully difficult. Nor in Scandinavia, nor in Canada - and these are the other two markets for Pirelli studded tires - there are none.
AvtoVzglyad tested in Sweden new Pirelli friction winter tires developed for Scandinavian countries and Russia
I press the brake pedal with all my might, but it's no use. The car, as if on viscous oil, continues to roll, without clinging to the slippery surface with the wheels at all. Fetters the horror of hopelessness and imminent catastrophe. Good thing this is just one of my favorite nightmares and not a real test of the new Pirelli Ice Zero FR friction winter tires. With them, everything turned out much better.
The new non-studded tire of the Italian company is designed specifically for the harsh northern regions - the Scandinavian countries, Canada and, of course, Russia. She added to the Ice Zero line, which currently includes one studded model. Also, studded tires at Pirelli are represented by the Winter Carving model, and non-studded tires, and Winter Ice Control.
For Pirelli, it is very important to emphasize that the new clutch is designed for the harsh northern climate.
Test Citroen C4 Picasso on Pirelli tires on the road to Murmansk caused a lot of anxiety. To appeal to northern consumers, the company began to expand its winter tire range with tires with a more "Nordic character".
Here is what Georgy Bozhedomov, a representative of the Russian office of Pirelli, told AvtoVzglyad: “In Russia, the reputation of Pirelli winter tires began to take shape according to our European line, the so-called Eurozim. In our climate, studded tires are more trusted, and in many regions the “friction clutch” is completely discounted, considering it to be “all-weather”. Our "Nordic" tires, with or without studs, do a great job with Russian realities. And Eurowinter is perfect for the southern regions.”
So far, no manufacturer has come up with a way to make a winter tire universal - so that it clings to the ice with “teeth”, breaks the snow and at the same time behaves quietly, comfortably and predictably on asphalt, whether it is wet, icy or dry. But they learned to hone individual characteristics perfectly.
In Russia, the use of studded tires is not prohibited, unlike in many European countries. Nevertheless, we have recently seen a trend towards non-studded tires, especially in cities. It is even more dangerous to drive on spikes on asphalt filled with reagents in Moscow, serious snowfalls and frosts in the central region are now rare. The transition period, that is, October-November and March-April, is so unstable that most drivers cannot guess the moment when it is better to change shoes.
So, in non-studded winter tires, the tread and the composition of the rubber mixture are of great importance. The depth of the tread pattern and its so-called "aggressiveness" - all these grooves, grooves, their intersections, branches are responsible for how the tire will cling to ice and snow, how it will fight hydroplaning, as well as the braking distance and cornering stability . The composition of the rubber compound determines the softness of rubber (winter is softer than summer and does not tan at sub-zero temperatures), its elasticity and wear resistance.
Of course, Pirelli marketers and engineers told us at the presentation for a long time how they invented another bicycle, only more advanced. Butterfly tread pattern, innovative special grooves, allegedly allowing you to do without running in ... Beautiful. But if the case, then the wavy sipes in the center of the tire capture the snow and clean the tread, allowing you to feel more confident when changing lanes, and “close” when braking, increasing stability. Drainage grooves, expanding from the center to the sides, help to get rid of melt water. The lateral pattern is responsible for traction on ice. Due to softer and narrower shoulder areas that reduce vertical stiffness, the Ice Zero's footprint is more square than the Ice Control model and captures more shoulder area, which means it provides better grip and mass distribution, and as well as cornering stability.
On the test of new items at the Pirelli winter range in Sweden, which is a frozen lake, the tire was tested in different conditions on different cars. In the vast majority of modern cars - and Pirelli also specializes in the premium segment - there is a stabilization system, and depending on the settings, it can either “catch” the first hint of danger or allow the driver to fool around. But no ESP will keep the car in a 180-degree turn with a crust of ice at high speed. The tires won't hold up either, and the Ice Zero FR, even though it's studless, feels like it's slipping pretty quickly. And this informativeness helps out, allowing you to quickly remember the brake pedal and steering wheel and understand what is happening with the wheels. If on the Mercedes-Benz C-Class you feel a soft intervention in a possible skid, the rear-wheel drive BMW allows you to wiggle your “backward”, and the Porsche Macan goes in any turn like a tram on rails. Ice Zero doesn't spin the car out of control - the ideal of stability achieved with a rigid tread base.
Very good new tires in rearrangements. One of the exercises on the track imitated a frequent traffic situation: the driver suddenly saw an obstacle, jerked the steering wheel and at the same time applied the brakes. When braking on snow or ice, Pirelli do not stop in their tracks - only snow chains are capable of this, but they allow you to maintain a straight line to a complete stop on any car. And that's great.
And the most wonderful thing, when you get out of the frozen lake, studded with orange cones and instructors with walkie-talkies, is silence. The most ordinary Volkswagen Golf, shod in brand new non-studded ones, rolls quietly along the asphalt dried in the sun, and I practically do not hear their rustle. I just think about how I really like the corners in which the car enters so softly and tenaciously. In terms of noise level, the Ice Zero FR is close to the first class of the European tire labeling system, while the third means the noisiest tires.
The only thing that could not be tested on its own skin during a large-scale test is the characteristics of aquaplaning - it was not possible to steer in puddles. The new studless tire comes to market in 30 sizes for 14" to 19" wheels, meaning it will fit most passenger cars and SUVs. Run flat versions are available for two 16" and two 17" and 18" sizes.
Among the advantages Pirelli Ice Zero the manufacturer promises good grip on ice both during acceleration and braking, as well as improved grip on snow due to an increase in the number of transverse sipes. And if the first statement is justified by the specific shape of the spike, then the second should be read adjusted for the age of the model - after all, enough time has passed since 2013, when these tires debuted. However, the density of sipes on winter tires is not growing as rapidly as the power of video cards or the bitcoin rate, and the fact that since 2013 it continues to find its customers is a clear proof of the success of the tire. Let's see what exactly attracts them.
Large blocks of tread pattern, clearly defined shoulder area, really high density of transverse sipes, as well as "toothy" edges of the beginning of these sipes with increased width - this is what immediately catches the eye in addition to the shape of the stud. Meanwhile, it is on the spikes that the manufacturer focuses the main attention - and his statements look justified. The spike is made in the form of a "cut arrow", looking in the direction of the picture: when accelerating, it rests on the surface with two sharp edges, and slows down with a wide "cut" front part. At the same time, on the lateral shift it is also sharp, but narrow - apparently, the emphasis is on the edges, which should effectively bite into the ice. Well, to ensure wear resistance and stability of performance, the wide base of the spike, hidden under the “stamp” around it, is called upon.
All this sounds and looks in combination with the traditional clarifications about “testing in the most severe winter conditions” quite smoothly: a deep and large tread really should provide good self-cleaning on snow and decent cross-country ability - especially since the tire is addressed to both car owners and SUV owners. A wide "directional" spike should also perform better than a conventional "normal" spike. It remains only to check whether this is so.
Already the first “break-in” hundreds of kilometers, which took place at near-zero temperatures, made it possible to understand that the rubber is really soft, and large tread blocks have a positive effect not only on driving on snow, but also on draining water from the contact patch. Rubber does not “float” at any city speeds and does not give up in snow and mud, and braking on wet pavement always remains predictable, even despite the studding.
The decrease in temperature and the end of the run-in did not bring disappointments: on clean cold asphalt, Ice Zero brakes very confidently, without canceling, of course, the need to keep a distance, adjusted for ice “bald spots”.
But the difference in the dynamics of acceleration and deceleration on an icy road, adjusted for the asymmetry of the spike, could not be felt with the “back”: in both cases, it was not the shape that was decisive, but the width. But we were pleased with the behavior of the car on new tires when cornering: demolition was achieved only with a clear reassessment of the capabilities of the car itself at the entrance to the turn. The predictability of a slip into a slip remained entirely on the choice of speed: if the car did not “slide” outward at the entrance to the turn, then it remained on the given trajectory until the very end of the maneuver.
However, there were some remarks - the main and, perhaps, the only one turned out to be the background noise. Despite the standard stud height and quite “urban” tread pattern, tire noise subjectively seemed a little more than expected. Perhaps this should be attributed to the “age” of the tires: since 2013 a lot of water has flowed under the bridge, and Ice Zero may simply not be the quietest in the line. However, noise on clean pavement is an inevitable scourge of all studded tires, and in our case there is no question of some outstanding level of this noise: you just have to take into account that it will directly depend on the sound insulation of a particular car. On the other hand, even subjectively noticeable background noise did not add to itself equally noticeable vibrations - according to this indicator, Pirelli's test subjects are in full order.
Off-road tests in our case, of course, ended a few "unpaved" kilometers from hard asphalt - it would be too naive to count on a full-fledged off-road on "civilian" tires. But it was possible to check the behavior of the tires both on rolled and on loose snow - and in both cases it did not cause concern. Packed snow is given to Ice Zero as uniformly as ice: both acceleration and braking are predictable and confident. On loose snow, fresh tires clearly lay a fresh track until they hit either the maximum angle of elevation or the maximum depth of the snow cover.
True, in the first case, it simply slips, hinting that the section can be overcome by running, but in the second it begins to dig in - therefore, slipping “until the last”, hoping for self-cleaning of the tread and a miracle, is not worth it, and not only on this one, but and on any other sensible winter tires.
Well, in urban conditions, the capabilities of the new Pirelli were more than enough: in the absence of heavy snowfalls, the yards had not yet turned into “battles on the ice”, but snow and ice had already taken their positions. Despite this, the cross-country ability, and, importantly, maneuverability in cramped conditions turned out to be exhaustively sufficient for confident visits to any local areas. Braking at low speeds can be called exemplary at all - slippage is minimal.
It is too early to talk about the strength and wear resistance of rubber - for this you need to leave not for several months, but at least a full season. However, the primary confirmation of the strength of the sidewalls are several “baptisms of fire” at hard joints and in large pits, which left no reason to doubt the quality of rubber and cord on the tires. By the way, the Ice Zero range also includes tires with Run Flat technology - this is especially true given the “versatility” for cars and SUVs and the focus, including on expensive cars.
The focus on expensive cars, however, was not the only one for Pirelli: Ice Zero is available in sizes from 14 to 22 inches. At the same time, in any of the landing diameters, it turns out to be slightly above the middle of the price range, which is fully justified both by the age of the model and by positioning.
The cost of a 14-inch tire starts at about three thousand rubles - this is by no means the lowest figure, but its justification after the first meeting is beyond doubt. It seems that it is this combination of good performance, average price, wide off-road positioning and the availability of run flat versions that provides the Pirelli Ice Zero with a sufficient consumer audience. Case is closed!
Pirelli Ice Zero is a premium studded winter tire with a directional tread pattern for passenger cars and SUVs.
Country of manufacture: England, Germany, Romania, Russia.
Pirelli Winter Ice Zero test by the Finnish Test World in 2016
In 2016, the experts of the Finnish organization Test World conducted a large-scale test of the Pirelli Ice Zero studded winter tire at size 205/55 R16 and compared it with 21 budget, medium and premium winter tires.
To illustrate the results, similar studded tires, friction tires and high-speed tires for mild winters (Eurosma) participated in the test.
Test results
According to the results of the test, Pirelli Ice Zero took 4th place in the overall standings.
The tire performed well on wet pavement, ice and snow, but on dry surfaces it performed below average. In addition, against the background of other studded tires, it turned out to be quite quiet.
| Discipline | Place | A comment | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Braking on dry pavement from 80km/h | 16 | a) the leader of the test (European type tire) - longer by 5.2 meters; b) the best studded tire - 1.4 meters longer; c) the best friction tire - 1.9 meters longer. |
|
| Braking on wet pavement from 80km/h | 4 | Difference in stopping distance from: a) the leader of the test (European type tire) - longer by 7.3 meters; b) the best studded tire - longer than 0.2 meters; c) the best friction tire - shorter by 1.7 meters. |
|
| Handling on wet pavement | 2 | : a) the leader of the test (European type tire) - longer by 2.7 seconds; b) the best studded tire - faster by 0.9 seconds; c) the best friction tire - faster by 1.4 seconds. |
|
| Snow braking from 80km/h | 5 | Difference in stopping distance from: a) the test leader (studded tire) - 1.4 meters longer; b) the best friction tire - shorter by 1.4 meters; c) a European-type tire - shorter by 9.3 meters. |
|
| Snow handling | 11 | Lap time difference from: a) test leader (studded tire) - longer by 2.2 seconds; b) the best friction tire - longer by 1.1 seconds; c) European-type tire - faster by 4.2 seconds. |
|
| Acceleration on snow | 6 | To accelerate to 35 km / h, the tire took 0.2 seconds more time than the leader of the test - the friction tire. | |
| Ice braking | 4 | Difference in stopping distance from: a) test leader (studded tire) - 3.3 meters longer; b) the best friction tire - shorter by 12.7 meters; c) a European-type tire - shorter by 39.4 meters. |
|
| Handling on ice | 7 | Lap time difference from: a) test leader (studded tire) - longer by 2.7 seconds; b) the best friction tire - faster by 0.7 seconds; c) European-type tire - faster by 19 seconds. |
|
| Acceleration on ice | 1 | Test leader. Acceleration time difference from 5 to 20 km/h s: a) the best studded tire - faster by 0.1 sec; b) the best friction tire - faster by 3.4 seconds; c) European type bus - 6.8 sec faster. |
|
| Noisiness | 12-13 | The tire showed the fourth result in terms of noise level and was quieter than most other studded tires. | |
 | economy | 19-21 | One of the worst results. In comparison with the leader of the test - a friction tire, fuel consumption is increased by 2.8%. |
Feedback from experts who conducted the test:
Longitudinal traction on ice is excellent, while lateral grip is slightly weaker. Because of this, in some situations there is a risk of skidding. On wet pavement, the tires brake confidently and are well controlled. On snow, handling is predictable and safe. As for a studded tire, quite quiet.
The test of the studded Pirelli Ice Zero from the magazine "Behind the wheel", conducted in 2014
In 2014, an alternative tire test was conducted by experts from the Russian "Za Rulem" in the size popular among crossovers - 215/65 R16 and compared with ten studded budget, medium and premium tires.
In this test, Pirelli took 3rd place and also showed high results in each of the disciplines.
