LingLong Sport Master Winter review
Overall, a strong performance that announces LingLong’s arrival in the winter tyre market. Economy is poor, though.
LingLong’s debut in Auto Express tyre testing sees it claim a maiden top score, being fastest around the dry handling course. Not the most significant discipline in a winter tyre test but the LingLong’s fifth-place finish puts it ahead of some better-known brands.
It puts together a fair set of snow results, with a solid fourth in the crucial braking test, eighth in traction (but not far off the pace), and fifth in snow handling where it had a safe, predictable, nose-led balance. With good braking, this made it tidy and easy to exploit.
A strong result in wet braking – fourth place – was backed up by fifth in wet cornering but didn’t translate into a decent lap time. There wasn’t anything obvious missing from its performance but the test car felt heavier and less biddable on the LingLong. Aquaplaning performance was disappointing, too.
It bagged fastest lap in the dry, which came as no surprise because it felt like a summer tyre; it delivered loads of grip and clean, direct responses. However, it was ranked seventh for refinement and, more significantly, recorded by far the highest rolling resistance, making it the least economical tyre here.
Blackcircles.com says…
“We are unable to give any details about the tyre’s performance or popularity with our customers at present.”
LingLong Sport Master Winter | ||
Overall | 96.5% | |
Price | £90 | |
Snow braking | 99.7% | 4th |
Snow traction | 90.6% | 8th |
Snow handling | 93.8% | 5th |
Wet braking | 96.3% | 4th |
Wet handling | 97.5% | 7th |
Wet cornering | 98.2% | 5th |
Straight aquaplaning | 88.6% | 7th |
Curved aquaplaning | 71.9% | 7th |
Dry braking | 93.8% | 5th |
Dry handling | 100% | 1st |
Cabin noise | 98.8 | 7th |
Rolling resistance | 74.8% | 8th |