Sitting among some of the most iconic automotive brands in the world is Mercedes-Benz, which this year is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Three-pointed Star registration. But this is not the only landmark for the German manufacturer this year: 2021 marks the launch of the new C-Class; the fifth generation of the model, equipped with Pirelli tyres. Developed by Pirelli, these new tyres will please all types of drivers: the Cinturato P7 for those seeking comfort and the P Zero for those after outright performance. Although different in many aspects, the Cinturato P7 and the P Zero share one common attribute: safety.
P7 FOR EVERYDAY LIFE
There's no type of weather that can intimidate the new Pirelli Cinturato P7 summer tyre: it has excellent capability in the dry and outperforms the previous version of the Cinturato P7 in the wet and under braking, reducing the risk of aquaplaning. And there's more. Some innovations that have been introduced include greater acoustic comfort and a longer life, which means less frequent of tyre changes. There's also an eye on the environment: rolling resistance decreases on average by one class compared to its predecessor, reducing the car's fuel consumption by four per cent as well as decreasing CO2 emissions.
AND FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE... THE P ZERO
The P Zero is by nature a performance tyre and it feels perfectly balanced in both wet and dry conditions. A precise steering response and reduced braking distance, as well as an optimal balance, means that drivers benefit from a considerable safety margin with the latest Mercedes C class.
Part of the reason why the P Zero is such a strong tyre comes down to the fact that it is derived from the tyres used in international motorsport. P Zero is now chosen as original equipment by more than 50% of prestige cars across the globe, meaning that more than half of the world's most sought-after models leave their respective factories with Pirelli tyres on them.
A COMPLETE RANGE OF TYRES
The technical collaboration between Pirelli and Mercedes-Benz is very close. The result is 770 models of Pirelli tyres approved by Mercedes-Benz for its cars, including the new C-Class models. The car – available with both rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive – benefits from a bespoke version of the Cinturato P7, launched last year, and P Zero: true to Pirelli's ‘Perfect Fit' philosophy. For winter conditions, the Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3 is available. Furthermore, in certain sizes, the P Zero is available with PNCS technology, which reduces the noise on the inside of the car and the Cinturato P7 with the Self-Supporting Run Flat option that keeps the car stable even in the event of a puncture. Thanks to this system, cars can keep driving safely for 80 kilometres at a maximum speed of 80kph.
