Lion Sport AT
What should be the tires for light trucks used on the farm or used for commercial vehicles? It can be assumed that such tires should be all-weather so as not to change them at the beginning of the new season. They also need to be off-road so that the truck can turn off the paved road into rough terrain on occasion without compromising driving quality. The third requirement is that truck tires must be strong and reliable enough to last as long as possible.
And the last requirement when choosing tires for light trucks is an affordable price. It is clear that nothing of high quality can be cheap, nevertheless we would like the tires to be inexpensive without compromising their quality. Is it possible? Yes, there are such tires, this is the Lion Sport AT and we will talk about them in this review.
About tires in general
Lion Sport AT is a tire designed for light trucks, vans, and SUVs. However, these tires can be used on any other vehicle with a suitable wheel diameter and width.
The tires are all-season and are designed for high cross-country ability. For this, a tread with an aggressive pattern is used here, which provides a high level of grip. Moreover, the design features of these tires ensure the uniformity of the adhesion of the central rib to the road, which has a positive effect on both handling and cross-country ability.
The tires are designed for light trucks, and therefore they are designed not only for increased weight loads but also at high speeds. For example, the maximum speed of these tires is 145 mi / h, which is a lot for trucks. Taking into account the off-road nature of the use of these tires on trucks, the manufacturer has provided several features, including a self-cleaning tread, efficient drainage, and reinforced sidewalls. We will consider all these and other features below.
Design features
Lion Sport AT is a radial combo tire with synthetic fiber cords and metal belt cords. Radial fiber placement in the carcass is an old proven technology that, on the one hand, reduces the cost of tires, and on the other hand, ensures their strength.
In addition to the composite carcass, the Lion Sport AT tires uses metal belts to reinforce the center rib. The belts have a double function. First, they strengthen the tire, increasing its durability and avoiding damage, for example, when hitting various obstacles such as curbs. Secondly, metal belts ensure uniform adhesion of the central rib to the road over the entire area of the contact patch. This solution provides uniform wear of the tread, due to which the tire will last much longer than usual.
The tread is symmetrical, non-directional, which simplifies tire mounting since it is not necessary to observe the position of the rubber concerning the side of the car. The tread is presented in the same pattern along the central rib. This pattern is formed by transverse grooves that channel water to the sidewalls and are responsible for sufficient traction. On the sides, there are sharp edges with aggressive hooks. These edges serve as an additional grip when riding on loose ground and gravel.
Cross blocks formed by diagonal grooves contribute to better handling as they provide optimal directional stability at medium and high speeds. With the help of these grooves, in the rain, water is diverted away from the contact patch of the tire with the road. Thus, the likelihood of aquaplaning is minimized and driving becomes safer.
In the manufacture of the Lion Sport AT, a special rubber compound is used, which, on the one hand, provides sufficient friction over the entire area of the contact patch. On the other hand, the use of a special rubber compound makes it possible to use the same tires in different climatic conditions.
Due to the addition of silicon dioxide to the rubber, the tire retains acceptable elasticity at subzero temperatures, while remaining quite tough in summer. This characteristic, in addition to sufficient friction with the road, ensures a long tread life. In comparison, most regular all-season tires do not last as long as the tread softens and wears out intensively in the summer.
Advantages and disadvantages
Are there any reasons to buy Lion Sport AT tires? Yes, there are such reasons and there are many of them, but we will list the main ones.
- Durability and reliability. As already mentioned, the tires are made using a strong combined carcass and reinforced with metal belts along the central rib. Again, these tires have reinforced sidewalls. All this makes the tires resistant to mechanical damage, which is important given their off-road operation.
- Ability to operate at high speeds. If not so long ago, light trucks were slow-moving transport, then modern new cars are getting faster. Therefore, the fact that the Lion Sport AT tires can be used at speeds up to 180 km / h is a clear advantage. At this speed, these tires provide acceptable handling. In addition, even with continued use of these tires at this speed, they do not deteriorate as much as other all-season tires. The secret is to effectively dissipate temperature from the tread, as a result, the tire does not overheat.
- Ability to operate in various weather conditions. While most of the all-season tires are nominally all-season tires, the Lion Sport AT can indeed be used in warm and cold seasons. Again, these tires perform well on dry and wet surfaces. Due to its pronounced tread, Lion Sport AT provides good traction, even on loose and packed snow.
- Acoustic comfort of use. All-season tires are generally noisy. And even more so noisy tires with a pronounced off-road tread. What about the Lion Sport AT? Yes, these tires make more noise than summer tires for passenger cars. However, the noise will be heard from outside the car, while in the cabin there is hardly any discomfort. The secret in tire construction is that vibrations that occur when the tread and the road surface rub are dissipated.
- Fuel economy. The Lion Sport AT tires have significantly less rolling resistance than other off-road tires, despite their pronounced tread. Therefore, the fuel consumption of a car equipped with these tires will not be much higher than that of summer tires. On average, this is 10% less than what is spent on cars with other budget all-season tires.
- Reasonable cost in comparison with similar tires from other manufacturers. There seems to be nothing to comment on, just check the prices for these tires from your nearest dealer, compare them with the cost of European all-season tires and feel the difference.
Verdict
Looking for practical tires for your pickup truck or SUV? But do you intend to spend money on expensive tires from well-known brands? In this case, buying a Lion Sport AT is the only reasonable decision, since you can only buy cheaper Chinese tires or used tires at all. By the way, to finally convince you of the need for such a purchase, we note that the manufacturer gives a guarantee for these tires up to 50 thousand miles, which you will agree a lot!