November 17, 2022
The evolution of the all-season tire has brought it closer to the do-it-all tire than ever before. While they may never completely satisfy in all situations, great strides in tire design have recently produced all-season tires that exceed the performance of their single season counterparts of the past. Not only have we experienced Ultra High Performance All-Season tires that would put some summer tires to the test, we’ve recently seen some all-season products that would certainly give some older generation winter products a run for their money. While not designed to replace a dedicated winter tire, the prospect of a winter-focused all-season tire that can be used year-round is enticing to many consumers.
Poised to deliver an inclement weather performer that can be used in all-seasons, Pirelli has introduced their Crossover/SUV Touring All-Season Scorpion WeatherActive. Developed for drivers of CUVs, SUVs, and pickups, the tire is designed to provide the requisite smooth, quiet on-road performance of a touring tire, while delivering winter performance beyond what is typically found in the segment. The indicator of these enhanced year-round tires is the three-peak mountain snowflake symbol (3PMSF) 
branded on the sidewall. This symbol indicates the tire has met the industry’s severe snow service requirements and should offer increased light snow traction beyond standard all-season tires. With winter testing of the Scorpion WeatherActive scheduled for early 2023, our team took advantage of the warmer weather to preview the Scorpion WeatherActive’s "3 season" performance to see if it has retained the wet, dry, and important on-road manners, or where any tradeoffs might have been made.
Testing along our public road route gave our team a good opportunity to determine the daily driving characteristics of the Scorpion WeatherActive. Limiting tread pattern noise from the more aggressive, v-shaped design is a tricky task, but Pirelli seemed to have mitigated any intrusive tones well. There was some pattern growl at lower speeds on smooth pavement, but at moderate and higher speeds, the noises mostly blended into consistent tones. Overall, our team agreed the Scorpion WeatherActive balanced its weather-focused pattern and noise attributes well. The ride was firm at times but nicely composed, which should complement the modern CUV and SUV well. Small impacts and undulations along our route were readily apparent but never intrusive. Luckily, larger road imperfections were concise and refined, which we’ve come to expect from tauter-riding flagship products from major manufacturers. The steering response and mid-corner feedback from the Pirelli also pleasantly impressed our drivers. Not only did it have appropriately quick response at both around town and highway speeds, but it was nicely weighted after the initial turn-in. The reassuring mid-corner heft translated into precise vehicle placement and an overall positive sense of control.
With the ability to conduct objective maximum traction tests and perform aggressive maneuvers to simulate emergency avoidance dynamics, our team took the opportunity to put the Scorpion WeatherActive through the test program’s usual battery of tests. Wet traction from the Pirelli felt very strong, with objective results that would most likely be similar to the better-performing tires in the category. Around the track, the nicely weighted steering once again gave our drivers the reassuring feedback needed to dive into corners with precision and maximize the tire’s grip throughout the turn. From the first lap, it was clear the Scorpion WeatherActive’s design emphasized good wet weather performance, which in the past, has been a limiting factor to some of these winter-focused all-season tires. After the track dried off, our team conducted lateral traction and braking tests along with the same timed handling course. The Scorpion WeatherActive continued to impress, with its refined steering feedback now amplified with more traction to work with. As we like to remind ourselves, dry laps in our Explorer ST test vehicles are not a priority for the vehicle, nor the tires, but frankly, the Pirelli’s natural and sophisticated handling at the limit could make it easy to forget that fact.
Part of the unspoken "promise" of a tire bearing the 3PMSF symbol is enhanced light snow traction compared to traditional M+S branded all-season tire. Naturally, we had to put that aspect of performance to the test. In subjective terms, our drivers complimented the way the Scorpion WeatherActive went about the business of driving. Acceleration and braking traction was strong, and the cornering behavior was balanced. The vehicle responded smartly to inputs at the wheel, and the steering had a nice, linear buildup of effort. In general, all aspects of performance were proportionate to one another, delivering an easy-to-drive blend of traits. Our objective acceleration and braking tests confirmed what our drivers found on the track: The Scorpion WeatherActive produced results that were competitive with some of the better 3PMSF-branded Crossover/SUV Touring All-Season tires.
On the ice, the Scorpion WeatherActive again showed it has the potential to compete with the best in the category. While its braking distances were good for any all-season tire, they didn’t come close to that of a dedicated winter product.
The Scorpion WeatherActive truly impressed our team throughout the preview drive, and any negatives we could find seemed more like calculated compromises, rather than mistakes or oversights. The Pirelli was good on the clear streets of our road ride route, which is the condition it will most often be operated in. Any compromises in pattern noise are minimal and probably a welcome tradeoff for its reassuring dry and wet traction. Given its balanced, and very good, performance in our winter testing, those minimal compromises are likely to fade into memory as soon as any snowy conditions arrive.
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