Goodyear, Pirelli tires OE on Land Rover Defender

NEW YORK—Jaguar Land Rover Automotive P.L.C. has selected Goodyear- and Pirelli-brand tires as OE fitments on the 2021 Land Rover Defender, the British car marque's iconic all-wheel-drive on-/off-road vehicle that's been redesigned and re-engineered.

The 2021 Defender is available in two- and four-door body designs, offering seating for up to six in the 90 model and the option of five, six or 5+2 seating in 110 model.

Pirelli Tyre S.p.A. developed a "bespoke" version of its Scorpion Zero All Season tire in 19- and 20-inch rim diameters for fitment on most versions of the Defender, while Goodyear is supplying its Wrangler All-Terrain Adventure and Wrangler DuraTrac in 18-, 19- and 20-inch sizes for specific versions.

To meet Land Rover's performance and efficiency targets for the Defender, Pirelli re-engineered the structure of the Scorpion Zero All Season with new shoulder designs and a double tread block. Pirelli said these changes improve grip on mud, grass and snow, traction characteristics deemed "essential" to the Defender's performance and stability, even at high speeds and on typically off-road surfaces.

Pirelli is supplying the tires in sizes 255/60R20 113V XL and 255/65R19 114V XL for fitment to all versions of the Defender 90 and 100.

Jaguar Land Rover said the tire sizes specified for the Defender have an outside rolling diameter of 815mm, providing the largest contact patch of any Land Rover, for "peerless" traction and grip in any environment.

Defenders owners also have a range of wheel options, from the "utilitarian" 18-inch gloss white steel rims to 22-inch gloss black five-spoke alloy designs.

Pirelli said developing the new tire followed its "perfect fit" philosophy, using new materials for the structure and compounds to be classified in class A for rolling resistance, which was specifically requested for off-road and wet grass performance.

For this specific test, conducted on a hill, Land Rover tested Pirelli's Scorpion Zero All Season both uphill at constant speed as well as sideways across the slope in order to assess lateral grip on wet grass.

Pirelli said it tapped a wide range of testing facilities for developing the Scorpion Zero All Season, including Eastnor Castle in England's Malvern Hills; Land Rover's Revi Arjeplog in northern Sweden; Land Rover's test track at near Warwickshire, England; at the legendary Nurburgring in Germany, at the Applus and Idiada facility in Spain, as well as at Pirelli's own test track in Vizzola, Italy.

The Defender went on sale in North America last fall with the manufacturer's suggested retail price starting at $46,100.