Vredestein Pinza AT - First Impressions

Most people nowadays like exploring unchartered routes to experience majestic landscapes. And in today’s time, there are a variety of capable SUVs that can help fulfil these boundless desires. However, not all SUVs can go off the beaten path and not all SUV owners take their machines off-road. That said, one would agree that along with other important factors, tyres play a crucial role in these conditions. Now, to entice the enthusiasts, there’s a new range of All-Terrain (AT) tyres in town. Meet Vredestein’s Pinza AT.

While ‘Vredestein’ may sound like a new name in India, it is a renowned brand in the tyre business across Europe for over 100 years. Owned and positioned as the premium arm of Apollo Tyres, it made its India debut in October 2021 with the Ultrac range of tyres for premium cars. Now, it has launched the Pinza AT tyres which are designed and engineered specifically for SUVs.

Vredestein’s Pinza range of all-terrain tyres has been introduced in three sizes – 17-, 18-, and 20-inch. These will be manufactured at Apollo’s plant in Vadodara and Andhra Pradesh and will also be offered in smaller 16-inch soon.

As for the tyres, Vredestein says that the Pinza features ‘Silent Groove’ and multi-pitch technology for quieter operation. It is also claimed to have stone ejectors and a three-ply triplex casing for enhanced durability and protection against external damage. With a wider tread pattern and jagged edge shoulder design, the Pinza promises high capability across mud, sand, and snow terrains. To put all of these to the test in the former two conditions, we were invited to the Learn Offroad Academy at Khopoli, Maharashtra.

In essence, a set of eight cars including the Toyota Fortuner, Jeep Wrangler, Ford Endeavour, and an Isuzu D-Max V-Cross, all fitted with the Pinza AT tyres were set to take the Level 1 course at the Learn Offroad’s trail. With the respective car owners also doubling up as our instructors, I was allotted the V-Cross that was shod with 265/60 R18 tyres.

Now, the V-Cross was the longest of the lot, measuring the tape at over five metres and a wheelbase stretching to 3,095mm. And to make things trickier, the pickup had me, someone with very limited off-road driving experience, in the driver seat. But then, putting some faith in the Pinzas’ and my novice skills, I was ready to give it a shot.

After a quick briefing session on the do’s and don’ts of off-roading, I buckled up and turned the low-ratio gearbox dial to ‘4L’ and set off for the first obstacle – the Deep Ditch. The tyres maintained their grip on the crawl and even while exiting the steep incline, which was impressive. I carried the same gingerly momentum to the next obstacle, which was rock crawling. The patch was flooded with harsh sharp rocks and despite that, I did not experience any punctures or damage to the tyres.

Next up, was a steep decline with slippery and scattered loose rocks. I engaged the hill-descent control and let go of the brakes and the accelerator while focusing fully on traversing the V-Cross through the dry river bed. The tyres gave me excellent control without any wheelspins and the same was maintained while climbing the incline.

The side slope obstacle was one of the most arduous obstacles, and while you have the constant fear of the vehicle rolling over, the tyres performed exceptionally well. Pinza’s wide and flat profile provided a larger contact patch with the ground, which helped maintain traction and stability on the slope. The aggressive side lugs provided additional grip too, allowing me to manoeuvre through the obstacle with ease.

Finally, I tested the tyres on a muddy slush track. This was a challenging terrain but the tyres’ deep tread pattern provided excellent traction and allowed the V-Cross to power through the mud with ease. The tyres did not clog up with mud, which is a common problem with some other off-road tyres, and provided ample grip to navigate the muddy terrain with confidence.

Now, we know that these AT (all-terrain) tyres are designed to handle a variety of off-road terrains such as sand, mud, gravel, and rocks. But there are certain aspects like durability, road noise, and its overall performance on normal tarmacs, which remain to be tested. Something which SUV owners will encounter along with their off-road stints.

Overall, I was impressed with the tyres' performance in off-road conditions. These Pinza tyres are designed to handle a variety of terrains, and they performed incredibly well in each condition. The tyres also absorbed the impact of the terrain, which made for a more comfortable driving experience. If you are an off-road enthusiast looking for tyres that can handle treacherous challenges, then these all-terrain tyres are a great investment.

The Vredestein Pinza AT tyres are aimed for SUVs from brands like Toyota, Jeep, Volvo, Mercedes, and JaguarLand Rover. While the prices are yet to be announced, we expect them to carry an aggressive price tag to help it compete with the other AT range of tyres.