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,
• wherein a maximum ground-contacting length in a tire circumferential direction of the tread portion under a normally inflated loaded condition of the tire is not more than 70% of a maximum ground-contacting width in the tire axial direction of the tread portion under the normally inflated loaded condition of the tire,
• wherein the tread portion is provided with main grooves extending continuously in the tire circumferential direction, and includes an inboard shoulder main groove which is disposed on the most inboard tread edge side, an outboard shoulder main groove which is disposed on the most outboard tread edge side, and an inboard middle main groove and an outboard middle main groove which are disposed between the inboard and outboard shoulder main grooves, respectively,
• wherein the inboard shoulder main groove is larger in a groove width than the outboard shoulder main groove,
• wherein an inboard shoulder land portion, defined between the inboard tread edge and the inboard shoulder main groove, is provided with inboard shoulder lateral grooves, which are arranged in the tire circumferential direction. and an outboard shoulder land portion defined between the outboard tread edge and the outboard shoulder main groove, the outboard shoulder land portion is provided with outboard shoulder lateral grooves which are arranged in the tire circumferential direction,
• wherein
• each of the inboard shoulder lateral grooves is an independent groove extending from the inboard tread edge toward the inboard shoulder main groove but terminating without reaching the inboard shoulder main groove so as to have an axially inner end within the inboard shoulder land portion, whereas each of the outboard shoulder lateral grooves extends across the entire width of the outboard shoulder land portion so as to connect to the outboard shoulder main groove,
• the inboard shoulder lateral grooves are arranged in the tire circumferential direction at a pitch of not less than 20% of said maximum ground-contacting length, and wherein
• sipes each having a groove width of not more than 1 mm are disposed in the inboard shoulder land portion. whereas a sipe having a groove width of not more than 1 mm is not disposed in the outboard shoulder land portion,
• the sipes disposed in the inboard shoulder land portion are inboard shoulder sipes, which extend axially inwardly from the inboard tread edge and terminate without reaching the inboard shoulder main groove so as to have axially inner ends within the inboard shoulder land portion, and
• the inboard shoulder sipes are disposed between the independent inboard shoulder lateral grooves.