Is the New Pirelli Scorpion XTM the Tire You Should Buy?
Pirelli is not a brand known for off-road tires. People turn to Pirelli for carving city streets, not sand dunes and washed-out river beds. The company's new Scorpion XTM tire aims to change that perception and earn the same fervor from off-road drivers as its other tires have from street performance drivers.
We recently had the chance to test Pirelli's Scorpion XTM in Death Valley, where the unforgiving terrain evolves as the wind blows. Across several vehicles and fitments, the Pirelli Scorpion XTM made its case and might have won us over.
With a three-peak mountain snowflake rating, a 55,000-mile warranty, and fitments for ICE, plug-in hybrid, and EVs, the Scorpion XTM cements itself as a serious player in the off-road tire market. An aggressive tread design with high void areas that bleed down the sidewall and a rigid base with advanced compounds that adapt to the climate and conditions help create impressive grip on and off-road. There are 20 sizes available as of now, many of them part of Pirelli's 'ELECT' tire program for EVs, and 17 additional fitments rolling out in the next year, most of which will be for ICE vehicles.
Pirelli took over three years to create the Scorpion XTM, ideating the perfect off-road tire with fresh optimism. Pirelli's off-road endeavors began with the Scorpion Mud in 1998, followed by new iterations every few years. In 2017, Pirelli introduced the Scorpion All-Terrain Plus, a great tire that seems to have left Pirelli knowing it could do better.
As it's wont to do, Pirelli set out to beat its competitors at every measurable and immeasurable point, from snow to sand. It tested the tire in many geographies and conditions, including how it "chunks" and wears down over time, to ensure it's as durable as buyers expect.
Off-road performance matters for those purchasing this tire, but it's not the entire tale. Pirelli also crafted a tire that is a joy to drive on pavement. This matters, too, as no matter how dedicated you are to going off-road, you probably spend most of your time driving on paved roads. Having a tire that performs anywhere is essential. Typically, great off-road tires hum and drone on the pavement as air moves through the tread. The Scorpion XTM has some noise, but its frequency is non-abrasive to the ear. You may get more noise from your truck or SUV than you will from the Scorpion XTM. It also has low rolling resistance, which makes for a more comfortable ride and helps with overall MPGs.
The Scorpion XTM shines off-road, too. Where you expect slippage, the tire grips. When you expect abrasive feedback, the XTM softens the blow. The tread pattern digs deep in soft sand to get you out of trouble and passes with flying colors over rocks, down embankments, through sand, around dunes, and through riverbeds.
The aggressive sidewall is a point of pride for Pirelli, but also not something we can adequately test. In sand, the Pirelli Scorpion XTM felt like it helped correct our line during slippage - and the sidewall should take some credit for this. It likely helps with gripping rock, too, but we didn't go rock climbing.
In testing, we didn't deflate tires for the simple reason that if someone with an F-150, Jeep, or other off-road-ready vehicle wanted to go off-grid for a weekend, they'd likely hop in their vehicle and go. Worrying about tire pressure isn't something most want to do in the middle of nowhere. We also didn't test mud performance, mainly because Pirelli feels mud has too many variables to be assessed fairly for any tire. In desert conditions, sand over firm terra is still variable but far more reliable as a testing ground than mud.
Here's something you might not know: When tire or auto companies want to show off in the off-road world, they often invite media to staged, curated courses. Pirelli led us through areas of the desert, but the most guidance we got was to avoid sharp rocks and to accelerate smoothly through the sand.
We were pleasantly surprised with the Scorpion XTM on paved roads and off-road. Pirelli's decision not to carefully manicure the environment in which it showcased its new Scorpion underscores its confidence in this tire. Upending an entire product line after leaving it untouched for eight years is bold, but it seems like a tactic that is paying off for Pirelli.
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