Buyers are worried about Chinese tires on Volkswagen Tiguan
As early as summer 2024, the Chinese company Linglong announced that it would start equipping Volkswagen cars with its tires on the European market for the first time, and the Linglong Grip Master C/S G1 tires in the size 255/45 R19 were homologated for the Tiguan crossover. It was expected that the tires would be supplied by Linglong's Serbian plant, which started operating in 2022, but German media note that at least some of the tires for the Tiguan are produced in China.
According to Auto Motor und Sport, Volkswagen customers were dissatisfied with the tire choice, and for several months, "concerned comments from disappointed buyers" have been appearing on forums and car review sites. Not so long ago, a post by one dealer, who expressed his dissatisfaction with the discovery of Chinese-made Linglong tires on the Tiguan R-Line version, which costs around €50,000, was widely circulated.
"Every day, our dealership staff strive to provide customers with the best advice and help them make decisions, which, of course, also applies to tire selection, which is the only link between the car and the road," the dealer wrote. "Now, someone at VW has decided to make our task more complicated. Why not put cheap tires on a new premium model? After all, it already costs almost €40,000 in basic trim, so when it comes to tires, you have to look at the price."
AMS notes that Linglong tires show weak results in tests, and, for example, last year in the ADAC tests, in which 16 participants took part, the Sport Master model (in the size 215/55 R17) took second place from the end due to complaints about handling on both wet and dry surfaces. However, this is a different tire model.
Volkswagen confirmed that they purchase tires from the Chinese brand. "Linglong is a series supplier of 19-inch tires, which were first used on the Tiguan and Cupra Terramar in 2024," the company noted. According to the automaker, a total of 10,000 Linglong tires were ordered last year, which means they play a minor role in overall procurement volumes.
In response, Linglong released a detailed statement, emphasizing that "all Linglong tires, especially in the original equipment segment, meet the highest requirements, which is confirmed not only by the value of our brand and long-standing partnership with leading automakers but also by numerous independent tests and checks. A great example of this is the new Volkswagen Tiguan, which comes standard with Linglong 255/45 R19 100V tires. The tires were developed and tested in accordance with Volkswagen's strict requirements and certified for their vehicles, receiving the plus sign marking on the sidewall. The development was carried out in close collaboration with Volkswagen, with a focus on parameters such as safety, comfort, durability, and reduced emissions. There is no doubt that Linglong tires meet the same specifications as other premium tires for original equipment, regardless of their origin."
Linglong also notes that they have been collaborating with Volkswagen in China for many years, and by supplying tires for the Tiguan in Europe, they are strengthening their position in the local market, primarily in Germany. "Developments are carried out at our European Technical Center in Hanover," the company says. "All our developers, engineers, and rubber compound specialists have many years of experience working for renowned tire companies such as Continental and Bridgestone. Our tires are also tested by highly qualified European drivers at leading test sites in the region, such as in Spain (IDIADA) and Finland (UTAC Ivalo), as well as at our modern test site in Asia."
Regarding the results of last year's ADAC test, the company pointed out that the Sport Master, despite its low ranking, received a "Satisfactory" rating, meaning the experts considered the tires worthy of recommendation. They also highly praised their short braking distance on dry and wet roads, as well as their high wear resistance and good fuel economy. Furthermore, in a recent test by Auto Bild, the optimized Sport Master model took 11th place among 52 tested tires, receiving excellent ratings for braking efficiency on both dry and wet surfaces. Another achievement was that ADAC gave the Linglong R701 tires a "Good" rating in a test that evaluated tires for passenger trailers.
"Linglong is the first Chinese tire company to open its own plant in Europe, and we are constantly improving the characteristics of our products to meet the requirements of the European market," the company concluded.
It was recently announced that Linglong supplies tires to eight out of the ten largest automakers in the world and has been the leader in the original equipment segment for the second year in a row in terms of supplies for new energy vehicles.