Pirelli Scorpion Verde Tire Review and Rating

Written By Slavcho Andov
Last Updated January 10, 2022

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Dry

Wet

Comfort

Noise

Treadwear

Pros

High levels of grip and traction in dry conditions
Very responsive
Shortest braking distances in wet conditions
Quiet

Cons

Handling in wet isn’t the best
Not the most affordable option

As most things in the world progress and evolve, so do things in the automotive industry. Several decades ago, SUVs were the type of vehicles that people purchased so that they could go off-roading, but today, that’s a different story.

While we still have robust off-roaders on the market, some options are more inclined towards road performance. The second type of SUVs is the ones I’ll be focusing on today.

Since we’re talking about an SUV that will be driven on the road, it means that you don’t need off-road tires. As a result, in this case, you can start to look at tires generally for passenger cars. While some manufacturers offer a wider range of size options from the same tire, others have a completely separate model.

There are several brands from the premium segment, and my pick for today comes from Italy. With a century and a half of experience under its belt, Pirelli is a manufacturer that can make an excellent tire. Among the many it has is the Scorpion Verde, a summer touring tire based on the manufacturer. In reality, the tire leans more towards the sporty side of things with some touring-like properties.

With that in mind, can the Scorpion Verde live up to the name and be as good as its rivals?

What are the features of the Pirelli Scorpion Verde?

Even though the Scorpion Verde is a summer tire, Pirelli still utilized silica in its compound. Combined with the special polymers used, the tire should deliver excellent performance in wet conditions and offer longevity accompanied by stability.

Pirelli utilized the tread design to provide multiple advantages in several key areas. The first one is the optimized profile that works with the compound’s materials. As a result, the tire should be quieter and greener, reducing fuel consumption and with that CO2 emissions. Another area that should help with noise is the optimization of the phasing and pitch sequence, reducing the internal noise the Scorpion Verde makes.

As part of the tread pattern, the Scorpion Verde gets a specially designed shoulder profile, which should improve stability based on Pirelli’s claims.

For water evacuation, the tire features 4 circumferential grooves and lateral sipes designed to help it deliver excellent aquaplaning resistance.

How does it behave on dry tarmac?

In the real world, the Scorpion Verde is an excellent summer tire for your SUV. The performance is certainly there, but I would classify it as the best there is.

The tire delivers excellent levels of grip and traction, there’s no denying that. There is plenty of lateral grip to keep the tire on the road and even provide some fun. As a bonus, the Scorpion Verde is a decently dynamic tire. It will respond to inputs very well and will offer plenty of feedback, meaning that you can rely on it to know what’s going on with it.

Traction is also very good, and you can avoid slipping with some more powerful SUVs. Naturally, if you go full maniac, you can do a burnout, but things will be fine in normal situations. With this, you also have very short braking distances and excellent stability, making the Scorpion Verde a safe tire.

As good as this sounds, the Scorpion Verde is not perfect. Regardless of how good the tire is, some of its competitors will offer better performance. In most road cases, the difference may be unnoticeable, but tires like the Michalin Pilot Sport 4 SUV will offer more when you reach the limit.

How does it behave over wet and slippery roads?

On wet roads, the Scorpion Verde is a good tire. It can deliver very good performance, but it’s still surpassed by its rivals in some aspects.

I’ll start with the most positive side of the Scorpion Verde, which is the braking distances. They are very short and among the best in this class, meaning that the tire doesn’t disappoint in terms of safety.

Grip and traction levels are good, and the Scorpion Verde delivers very good performance. You will notice the occasional slip, but it won’t be terrible. The lateral grip is good and will allow you even to push the tire a bit before it starts to understeer. In the handling department, you will be provided with a positive and planted feel. With that said, something like the Continental COntiSportContact 5 SUV will offer slightly better performance.

The aquaplaning resistance is an area where I’m a bit disappointed. The Scorpion Verde delivers only good aqauaplaning resistance despite the wide circumferential grooves. It’s above average for sure, but not as good as its premium competitors.

Is it comfortable and refined?

Performance-oriented tires aren’t known for being the most well-refined ones, but since the Scorpion Verde is a touring one, according to Pirelli, things are looking good in this department.

The tire provides you with a very comfortable driving experience. It may not be the softest one on the market, but it can absorb bumps pretty well and eliminate most of the vibrations. On top of that, the tire isn’t too soft, so you won’t have a lot of rebounds when you hit a pothole.

Noise is another area where the Scorpion Verde shines. Thanks to the tread design, Pirelli managed to make it one of the quietest tires in this class. Even at higher speeds, the noise is surprisingly low.

Is it good for off-roading?

For the most part, if you own a set of Scorpion Verde, you probably won’t be thinking about going off-roading with them, which would be a good idea because the tire isn’t particularly good at it.

In the lightest possible scenarios like dirt roads, the Scorpion Verde will offer only limited traction, meaning that you’ll need to be extra careful. Going for anything more extreme than this, like mud, means that you are drastically increasing the chances of getting stuck. On top of that, the tire isn’t designed to withstand that kind of terrain, meaning that you can puncture or damage it.

Is the Pirelli Scorpion Verde ideal for sporty driving?

Even though the Scorpion Verde wouldn’t be my first choice for the sportiest tire for an SUV, it’s not a particularly bad one as well.

In the handling department, the Scorpion Verde is pretty good. The responsiveness is excellent, and doesn’t feel nervous with every steering input. It changes directions on command, and it does that smoothly. While doing that, the tire will reward you with plenty of feedback, so when you’re driving on the level, you’ll know what the tires are doing.

Going hard in a corner usually means that the tire’s sidewall will flex. The good news is that the flex isn’t too pronounced on the Scorpion Verde. Of course, you will notice it, but it’s not overly floppy.

Pirelli Scorpion Verde Warranty

Most tires in this category don’t come with a treadwear warranty, and the Scorpion Verde is no different. With that said, the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV comes with a 20,000-mile treadwear warranty, which is a big plus when compared to the other options.

Pirelli Scorpion Verde Pricing: Is it worth the money?

In terms of pricing, the Scorpion Verde isn’t an option that can be called affordable. With prices starting from around $180, it’s positioned between the Continental and Michelin models.

Should I buy the Pirelli Scorpion Verde?

Even though the Scorpion Verde is not a poor performer, it’s still a tire that you should first consider and compare with its rivals before buying it.

In dry conditions, the Scorpion Verde is a solid contender. The tire delivers very high levels of grip and traction, meaning that in normal driving scenarios, you won’t be left wanting for more. Combine that with the dynamic handling nature of the tire, and you get a very good contender until you start to push it. While the handling will remain the same in the grip and traction areas, some of its rivals will be able to offer more.

The story with performance in rainy conditions is more or less similar. You’ll have excellent traction on damp roads, and the tire will hold on in the corners. This will be backed by the planted feel, which would be more than enough for most average drivers. Unfortunately, like in dry conditions, there are better performers.

As far as braking distances go, don’t look for any better SUV tire because you’ll struggle to find one. The Scorpion Verde may have the shortest braking distances, but the aquaplaning resistance isn’t the best in class.

On a more positive note, the Scorpion Verde is a tire that can be crowned as a well-refined one. The comfort levels may not be as luxurious as a grand touring tire, but you won’t feel like you’re fillings are about to fall off. On top of that, the noise levels are among the lowest in this class, regardless of the speeds you’re driving at.

In terms of warranty, don’t expect any. Most tires in this category have no treadwear warranty, so the Scorpion Verde doesn’t get one either.

The price is probably the main reason why I didn’t recommend the Scorpion Verde from the start. Even on the premium scale, the tire is on the more expensive side but gets outperformed by some less expensive models.

Overall, the Scorpion Verde isn’t a terrible tire. It has plenty of performance and will be more than enough for most people, and the only aspect that puts it at the top is the low noise levels. This isn’t a bad option if you’re after a well-refined tire but don’t want the absolute best performance.