Pirelli P6 Four Seasons

“Euro” has always had a certain premium marketing appeal in North America. Whether it is clothing, jewelry or fine cars, for many people, the good stuff comes from the other side of the Atlantic, and those Europhile consumers extend that philosophy to tires.

Michelin has been a benefactor of this trend for years, but Euro firms with long histories like Pirelli are making a bid to challenge the French tire maker for a bigger piece of the Canadian market. Can they do it? Tire and Wheel Canada tested Pirelli’s broad-line P6 Four Seasons to see if the product is a logical recommendation for your customers.

Structurally, the P6 features a symmetrical tread pattern (although you must mount them with the correct side out) and a high silica tread compound over two steel belts and a nylon cap ply. The tread pattern is dominated by twin circumferential grooves for water clearance and lots of siping. Shoulder blocks hint at a lugged tread, suggesting some light snow mobility, although few regions of Canada should consider these or any “all-season” radials in the winter. Pirelli engineers have divided the tread area into five zones and have designed the tire’s carcass to move the contact patch towards the middle of the footprint, a strategy that pays off when mounted on strongly understeering vehicles.

On the road, the primary feeling is one of lightness, with a very delicate turn-in with lots of feedback through the steering wheel. Cornering limits are high for a touring tire, but more importantly, the rounded shoulder and scalloped edge block tread pattern lets the P6 grip even during the severe tuck-under experienced during abrupt lateral maneuvers in today’s understeering front-drivers.

Where the P6 Four Seasons really shines is in the wet, where the combination of the relatively high tread void area, shoulder design and silica compound allow cornering at speeds that are fast to scary in the rain.

As might be expected for an Italian tire maker, Pirelli expects the tire to be used at high speeds and is almost apologetic about the H-rating on the 14-inch sizes. While 210 km/h is wildly optimistic for most vehicles wearing “14’s,” the P6 is factory approved by manufacturers like BMW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz and Jaguar, which may be a useful selling point for owners of these high-end vehicles. Pirelli lists 62 different sizes for this tire, from 255/40 VR19 down to 185/60 HR14, so it’s possible to mount these on everything from Mercedes SL to Hyundai. UTQG for the P6 is 400 AA.

Who should buy these tires? Two possibilities are upsell consumers looking for better performance than stock on main stream vehicles like Ford’s Taurus or the Honda Accord, and also from luxury brand drivers who want a speed rating, good all-season grip but aren’t willing to pay the severe ride penalty for ultra-high performance. Typical competitor tires for the P6 Four Seasons are the Michelin Pilot XGT H4 and the Goodyear Eagle GT-HR. Pirelli has a website for the P6 and P7 lines at www.pirellip6.com