Pneumatic tire

A pneumatic tire, comprising:

• a tread portion having an outboard tread edge to be positioned away from the center of a vehicle body and an inboard tread edge to be positioned close to the center of the vehicle body, and provided with main grooves extending continuously in the tire circumferential direction,
• the main grooves including an outboard shoulder main groove and an outboard crown main groove between which an outboard middle land region is defined,
• the outboard middle land region provided with outboard middle transverse grooves each comprising a shallow groove section and a deep groove section,
• the outboard middle transverse grooves including:
• first outboard middle transverse grooves wherein their deep groove sections are disposed on the outboard shoulder main groove side and their shallow groove sections are disposed on the outboard crown main groove side, and
• second outboard middle transverse grooves wherein their deep groove sections are disposed on the outboard crown main groove side and their shallow groove sections are disposed on the outboard shoulder main groove side, and
• the first outboard middle transverse grooves and the second outboard middle transverse grooves arranged alternately in the tire circumferential direction,
• wherein the tread portion comprises an outboard shoulder land region which is defined on the axially outside of the outboard shoulder main groove and provided with outboard shoulder transverse grooves extending axially inwardly from the outboard tread edge,
• wherein the outboard shoulder transverse grooves include:
• first outboard shoulder transverse grooves whose axially inner ends are connected to the outboard shoulder main groove;
• and
• second outboard shoulder transverse grooves terminating within the outboard shoulder land region,
• wherein the first outboard shoulder transverse grooves are aligned with the deep groove sections of the first outboard middle transverse grooves so as to be smoothly continuous therewith through the outboard shoulder main groove, and
• wherein the second outboard shoulder transverse grooves are aligned with the second outboard middle transverse grooves so that the axially inner ends of the second outboard shoulder transverse grooves are substantially positioned at axially outward extensions of the second outboard middle transverse grooves.