- Pirelli has launched a new lineup of all-terrain tires in North America called the Scorpion XTM AT.
- The off-road rubber is available in two variants: one for gas-powered trucks and SUVs and the other with Pirelli’s Elect technology for vehicles with plug-in hybrid and electric powertrains.
- There are 21 sizes available at launch (10 standard sizes and 11 Elect sizes) with wheel diameters ranging from 17 to 20 inches for the standard tires and 18 to 22 inches for the Elect tires.
It’s no secret that the idea of both commuting to work and tackling the wilderness in the same vehicle has great appeal in the United States. In fact, many Americans already own a truck or an SUV built to do just that—think a Toyota Tacoma parked outside Kroger with a roof tent. Pirelli is entering the highest level of this lucrative market with its latest and most extreme all-terrain tire, the Scorpion XTM AT, which was developed in Texas and Brazil with the goal “to make Americans happy,” according to Ian Coke, chief technical officer of Pirelli North America.PirelliThe Scorpion lineup dates to 1998, when the brand introduced the Scorpion Mud, a knobby tire designed for tough terrain and off-road-only vehicles, not road use. Twenty-seven years and many Scorpion tires later, Coke says the Scorpion XTM AT “is not a road product. This is an off-road product.” But after spending time behind the wheel both on- and off-road, we think the XTM AT may have fulfilled the half of the equation that the Mud did not. Pirelli emphasizes the Scorpion XTM AT’s aggressive, high-void tread pattern. The tread block size and layout are designed to reduce road noise while maintaining good handling and off-road performance. That rigid pattern flows into the two-ply, heavy-gauge, three-piece sidewall. Pirelli calls this the claw effect, and it becomes particularly useful when driving on sand or other loose surfaces. To accomplish this continuous pattern into the shoulder, Pirelli created a new mechanism in the manufacturing process that departs from over 150 years of tiremaking tradition. The Scorpion XTM AT also sports rock ejectors in the tread, so if you see a dirty truck on the road wearing these Pirellis, steer clear for the sake of your windshield. Ian Coke prepared us for our initial drive by advising to “leave distance between your cars. Those rock ejectors do work.”PirelliPirelliThis tire gets the three-peak mountain snowflake (3PMSF) rating, meaning it has proved capable of performing in the snow. Pirelli says the XTM AT has a new compound technology that allows it to have variable transition points. The bonds within the rubber structure modulate according to temperature, meaning the tire will remain flexible whether it’s hot or cold. “This is a genuine three-peak mountain snowflake,” Coke says of the tire. “It’s a very strong three-peak mountain snowflake.”Perhaps the biggest news is the release of the Scorpion XTM AT Elect, a tire specifically designed for battery-electric trucks and SUVs that has different priorities. Coke says the Elect has “an extremely low rolling resistance in comparison to benchmarks” and other Pirelli products. This is to maximize range and efficiency and, according to Pirelli, results in 5 percent more range versus the non-Elect tire. However, the Elect isn’t any quieter than the other tire, and the trade-off for reduced rolling resistance is poorer performance in the mud, Pirelli says.PirelliWe had an opportunity to drive on the Scorpion XTM AT in a 2025 Ford Bronco and Jeep Wrangler. The XTM AT’s quietness on the road is no joke. Even in the not-so-enclosed cabin of the Bronco, we had to make an effort to pick out the tire noise through the wind. We could certainly hear the tires, but the sound was not inherently obvious. Another impressive thing was the lack of missing chips and chunks in the tread. The folks at Pirelli had us driving fast on washboard gravel roads with sharp rocks and steep dips for about 20 miles, and not a single chunk was missing from any tire. We were the last of four groups testing over a span of two weeks on the same tires, making the apparent condition of the XTMs that much more impressive. And these tires look good. The continuous shoulder is not only functional but gives the tire a beefy appearance that promptly smooths out flat as the rubber gets closer to the wheel. PirelliThe Scorpion XTM AT is available in 21 sizes at launch, with more rolling out over time for an eventual total range of 37 sizes. But sizes for the traditional tire and Elect tire do not go hand in hand. For example, the narrowest Elect width available is 275 millimeters, while the traditional tire goes down to 235 millimeters. Wheel diameters available range from 18 to 22 inches on the Elect tire and from 17 to 20 inches on the standard version. Once all 37 sizes are available, the full range will include widths from 235 to 295, aspect ratios from 50 to 80, wheel diameters from 17 inches to 24 inches, and speed ratings of R (106 mph), S (112 mph), and T (118 mph). Flotation sizes are also available. The Scorpion XTM AT is backed by a 55,000-mile limited warranty, which hopefully means buyers can park their rigs on the sharpest rocks with peace of mind.PirelliPirelli does not sell directly to consumers, so pricing depends on the tire distributors they work with. But Pirelli provided a few price examples for us: The LT 265/70R-17 123S tire (a common size among mid-size trucks) sits at $282, while the Elect 275/60R-20 115T is priced at $344. That is certainly heavy money for a tire, but it pretty much falls in line with similar options. We also asked whether the Scorpion XTM AT would eventually find its way onto new trucks or SUVs as a stock tire. Pirelli says it is working with automakers, specifically mentioning Rivian and the 2026 Ram 1500 REV.More about TiresWith Pennsylvanian roots, Carter has spent years on some of the greatest driving roads in the country. From every gear shift in his first car—a 2008 Scion tC which he still proudly owns—and long before, Carter has always been about the raw power and emotion that cars exude. Carter was raised in an artist’s household and found an early passion for filmmaking. He would document family vacations, create short films with friends, or pick up freelance video jobs. Not long after high school, Carter took a dive into photojournalism and gained opportunities to travel all across Pennsylvania. He filmed pro sporting events, interviewed politicians, and covered daily breaking news in his home community. Carter says the combination of video/photography and cars at Car and Driver equals his dream job.
Source: caranddriver.com
