TOWCAR OF THE YEAR AWARDS - Honda take the up to 1400kg title with the awesome HR-V.

The Honda HR-V has triumphed at the 2016 Tow Car Awards, with the 1.6 i-DTEC SE manual taking the class winner in the ‘up to 1400kgs’ weight class. 

Organised and judged by experts from Practical Caravan, What Car? and The Camping and Caravanning Club, a total of 41 cars were entered into the 10^th Tow Car Awards and over 440 cars have been tested since the awards were launched in 2006. 

The latest incarnation of Honda’s popular crossover launched last summer after a long hiatus and is already proving popular with Honda’s retail network which is unable to keep up with demand.  Originally launched in 1999, the first generation of the HR-V was an early pioneer of the small crossover segment.

Priced at £22,440, the 1.6 i-DTEC SE manual has a kerbweight of 1399kg, a maximum towing weight of 1400kg and a towball limit of 70kg.  It also comes with city brake active system as standard, electric windows and mirrors, Honda’s Magic Seats® and front and rear parking sensors.

David Motton, Tow Car Editor of Practical Caravan magazine, commented: “Towing at a steady 60mph, the HR-V is as comfortable and composed as you could wish for. It kept its cool in our violent lane-change test, too. We kept increasing the speed of the test, and the Honda kept on going just where the driver pointed it. With 221lb ft of torque, there's enough pulling power for respectable performance when towing, going from 30-60mph in 16.8 seconds with a caravan in tow. It's a very impressive tow car for little more than £22,000.  The verdict: great stability and a practical, ingenious cabin.”

Phil Webb, Head of Cars at Honda UK, commented: “The powerful diesel engine in the relatively small HR-V makes it perfect for towing, providing owners with very good driveability whilst retaining strong fuel economy.  Couple the increased height compared to a hatchback, making for fantastic visibility, with the slightly more comfort orientated suspension settings, for a more relaxed drive, and customers have a winning combination.”

TOWCAR OF THE YEAR AWARDS - Suzuki takes the Ultralight title with the Vitara S Sports utility Vehicle.

Suzuki is very pleased to announce that Vitara S has been voted the winner of the Ultralight category at the Tow Car Awards 2016. Suzuki introduced the 1.4-litre Boosterjet model in January which provides a more sporting and dynamic character to the Vitara line up and it was this latest model that really impressed the judges.  

Commenting on the award, David Motton, Tow Car Editor of Practical Caravan magazine said;

“We were thoroughly impressed with the Vitara diesel we tested last year, and this year's petrol powered Vitara S is light enough to be considered an ultralight tow car. For a car which barely weighs more than 1.2 tonnes, stability at speed was excellent. The Suzuki pulled its trailer to 60mph and well beyond without any waywardness.

The S is powered by a turbocharged petrol engine which performs well, pulling the trailer from 30-60mph in 14.4 seconds. Turbocharging helps give more mid-range pull than you get from most petrols, making for an engine that's surprisingly well suited to towing lightweight trailers and micro-caravans. So, your £20k buys lots of kit, impressive stability and four-wheel drive.

That makes the Vitara a worthy winner of this year's 'Best Ultralight Tow Car' award”.

Dale Wyatt, Sales and Marketing Director, Suzuki GB PLC added; “This is another fantastic  accolade for us at Suzuki; our compact and lightweight SUV is proving to be really popular on the roads now with around 11,000 sold since launch last year.

Vitara is available from £13,999 for the 1.6-litre SZ4 model with manual transmission; the SZ5 model is available with either a 1.6-litre petrol or 1.6 diesel engine and offers ALLGRIP four wheel drive as an option. The 1.4-litre turbo-charged S model tested in the competition offers ALLGRIP as standard equipment.

Vitara is rated one of Europe‘s safest cars according to independent crash testing results from Euro NCAP, and received the maximum 5-star rating. Vitara was also the first compact SUV to earn five stars in the more rigorous 2015 Euro NCAP testing programme which reinforces its exemplary safety.

TOWCAR OF THE YEAR AWARDS - Jaguar takes it's fourth win in five years for the XF sports saloon.

• The Jaguar XF claims unanimous class victory at the Tow Car Awards 2016
• Judges praise the premium saloon’s ‘superb stability’ during rigorous series of tests
• XF continues the model’s impressive showing at the Tow Car Awards with fourth award in five years
• ‘We’ve enjoyed towing with the previous XF, but the new model is even better’
• Strong performance from the XF’s highly advanced 180hp 2.0-litre four-cylinder Ingenium diesel engine

The Jaguar XF has added yet another UK industry award to its impressive roll of honour in less than a year since it was launched after winning best-in-class (1550-1699kg) at the Tow Car Awards 2016.

The award also marked the fourth time in five years that the British-built XF was chosen as its class winner with the judges all unanimously putting it at the top of score sheets for its effortless towing ability.  

This year saw 41 cars entered across a number of different classes where the judges assessed each vehicle on acceleration, gearing and stability while towing a weighted caravan on a basic hitch on a straight-mile and slalom course. 

The XF proved its worth as a tremendously capable tow vehicle with the judging panel, made up of industry experts from Practical Caravan, What Car? and the Camping and Caravanning Club magazine, praising the premium saloon’s superb stability and great performance thanks to the advanced 180hp 2.0-litre Ingenium diesel engine.

To find the most complete tow car in each class, the judges also test the car’s ability to cope with towing on uneven surfaces while further assessments of luggage-carrying ability, running costs, reliability and safety are also conducted. And it was the XF that consistently achieved the highest cumulative score across the battery of tests.

David Motton, Tow Car Editor, Practical Caravan Magazine, said: “Judged purely on its towing ability, each and every one of our drivers had the Jaguar XF at the top of the 1550-1699kg weight class. 

It really is that good. We’ve enjoyed towing with the previous XF, by the new model is even better. Very few cars come close to the Jaguar’s unperturbed towing manners at 70mph, and in the lane-change the XF completed the test at ever faster speeds without any pushing or pulling from the caravan – the Jaguar made our most dramatic and violent test seem almost pedestrian.”

Jeremy Hicks, Jaguar Land Rover UK Managing Director, said: “The multi-talented XF also boasts all the stand-out qualities that customers look for in premium executive saloon including style, technology, efficiency and safety. 

Winning this award goes to show that the XF is also tremendously practical and versatile when called upon to tow up to 2,000kg in luxury and comfort. The award is made all the more special considering the intensely competitive sector in which the XF competes in and it is one Jaguar is rightly proud of."  

The XF’s lightweight aluminium construction coupled with the all-aluminium Ingenium engine means Jaguar’s multi-award winning saloon sets the class benchmark for fuel efficiency and emissions.

Powertrains include a 2.0-litre Ingenium diesel engine in outputs of 163PS and 180PS. The 163PS 2.0-litre Ingenium diesel boasts emissions from just 104g/km and 70.6mpg on the combined cycle and drives the rear wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox. Customers also have the choice of two powerful V6 engines: a 300PS, 516lt ft (700Nm) turbocharged diesel and a 380PS, 332lb ft (450Nm) supercharged petrol engine.

The XF’s class-leading efficiency also makes it one of the most cost effective premium executive saloons for fleet and business customers boasting the lowest insurance group ratings (from 25E) and the highest residual values according to industry valuation company CAP retaining 53% of its value after 3 years/30,000 miles.

TOWCAR OF THE YEAR - Land ROver takes three awards at this years ceremony, including car of the decade.

• Land Rover Discovery wins the ultimate accolade at the Tow Car Awards 2016 - ‘Tow Car of the Decade’
• Award is one of three top honours awarded to Land Rover’s supremely capable Discovery Family
• Discovery wins its weight class (1900kg+) for the seventh year in succession and the ninth time in the awards’ 10-year history
• The Discovery Sport lives up to the capabilities of the famed Discovery nameplate by winning the ‘1700-1899kg’ weight category

The Land Rover Discovery family of SUVs has amassed three honours at the annual Tow Car Awards. The Land Rover Discovery has been awarded the highest accolade of all after being chosen as ‘Tow Car of the Decade’. 

For the seventh year in succession and the ninth time overall in the awards’ 10-year history, the Discovery once again demonstrated why it is consistently the most capable vehicle when it comes to practicality and effortless towing ability. 

The supremely capable Land Rover Discovery 3.0 SDV6 won its weight class in the ‘1900kg+’ category and impressed the panel of experienced judges from Practical Caravan, What Car? and the Camping and Caravanning Club magazine with its sheer breadth of capability. 

Winning the weight category is no easy feat, as the judges not only test a vehicle’s all-round towing ability but also evaluate other practical aspects such as interior luggage space, accuracy of manufacturer towing advice in the vehicle handbook and overall buying and ownership costs.

David Motton, Tow Car Editor of Practical Caravan magazine, said: “Sometimes our judges take a long time to reach agreement over the merits of different rivals, but the discussion over this award for our first Tow Car of the Decade was short and to the point. Quite simply, the Land Rover Discovery is the best tow car of the past ten years. 

The class of 2016 provided the Discovery’s toughest fight yet. But judged on its towing ability, the Land Rover can still show its newer rivals a thing or two. With 443lb ft of torque, the Discovery pulled over our 1-in-6 test hill at little more than tickover. 

In fact, whatever we asked of the Land Rover as a tow car, it rose to the challenge without breaking a sweat.”

The Land Rover Discovery is available with several intelligent technologies to aid and enhance the towing experience. 

Trailer Stability Assist detects the presence of a trailer and, above 37mph, monitors the trailer and activates selective braking of the appropriate wheel or wheels on the car to help correct any problems. 

Towing Assist predicts the trajectory of vehicle and trailer, providing guidance when coupling a trailer and a predicted path for the vehicle on the touch-screen when reverse is selected. It is also available with the optional Surround Camera System to give the driver a 360-degree view of the exterior displayed on the central dash-mounted touchscreen.

The Discovery Sport TD4 180 SE Tech Auto also enjoyed success and took overall class honours in the ‘1700-1899kg’ weight category. 

With a towing capacity of up to 2,500kg (when equipped with the heavy duty tow pack), the Discovery Sport was praised by the expert judges for its stability at speed while the vehicle’s efficient new Ingenium turbo-diesel engine was also praised for its strong performance.

David Motton added: “The Discovery Sport was close to the top of the category last year – but now it’s back with the new Ingenium diesel, and it’s a class winner. As one of our judges wrote in their notes, the Discovery Sport has clearly inherited its big brother’s DNA.”

Jeremy Hicks, Managing Director of Jaguar Land Rover UK, said, “We are delighted to accept these awards and they prove what we’ve known all along – that the Discovery Family is one of the world’s most capable and versatile premium SUVs ranges available. 

Both Discovery and Discovery Sport offer customers the perfect blend of luxury, versatility and technology and have been designed, engineered and built in Britain for people and families who enjoy an active lifestyle.”

Such is its popularity that over 123,300 customers have already purchased a Discovery Sport in the first year of sales since it was launched.

Customers can specify the Discovery Sport with an electrically deployable or detachable tow bar and coupled with the optional Surround Camera System makes hitching a trailer or caravan a simple task. 

For added levels of practicality, the Discovery Sport is the only vehicle in the premium compact SUV segment to feature a 5+2 seating arrangement and is available on Land Rover Freedom PCP from just £299pm (Discovery Sport 2.0 TD4 180 SE manual).  

2015 Annual Tow Car Awards from the Caravan Club are announced.

The Volkswagen Group continued its dominance of The Caravan Club’s prestigious Towcar of the Year competition by lifting the trophy for a seventh consecutive year.

The competition’s 39 entries were split into six price classes and two weight categories, ranging from the Dacia Logan MCVLauréatedCi at just £12,114 to the all-singing, all-dancing Land Rover Discovery HSE Luxury 3.0 SDV6 at a shade over £60,000.  The diverse entry list included small 4x4s, saloons, estates, hatchbacks, SUVs, large off-roaders and an electric/petrol hybrid.

Each towcar endured the same gruelling series of trials – not only being judged on its towing performance over a testing circuit at the Millbook Proving Ground in Bedfordshire, but also for its ‘caravanability’ – ie how much typical holiday gear and caravan paraphernalia it could accommodate, how easily it could be hooked up to a caravan and the quality of towing information contained in its handbook.  Value for money (initial purchase price and running costs) was also added to the marking equation.

Seven driving judges put the cars through their paces and evaluated each one’s dynamic abilities and ergonomic qualities.  Tests included a mid-range 30-60mph acceleration assessment, high-speed towing appraisal, reversing, emergency braking, ride and handling evaluations as well as hill-stop and restart trials. 

Price Class wins in the competition went to: the Fiat Panda 4x4 1.3 MultiJet; Peugeot 308 SW PureTech 1.2 e-THP stop-start; SEAT Leon ST FR 2.0 TDI; Volkswagen Golf SV GT 2.0TDI DSG; Volvo XC60 D5 AWD R-Design NAV; and the Land Rover Discovery HSE Luxury 3.0 litre SDV6.

From these Class winners, the SEAT Leon ST forged ahead to take the overall victory, earning comments such as, “the SEAT’s engine kept its torquey feel and produced punch whenever and wherever it was required”, and “even at increased speeds, it remained unruffled and composed”.

All-Wheel Drive vehicles competed in two additional categories – ‘All-Wheel Drive Under 1800kg’ and ‘All-Wheel Drive Over 1800kg’. First place in the lighter category went to the Volvo XC60 D5 AWD R-Design NAV,  while the Land Rover Discovery HSE Luxury 3.0 litre SDV6 took the honours in the heavier group.

The results of the competition were announced at The Caravan Club Towcar of the Year Awards ceremony, held at the Royal Automobile Club in London on 24 September.

For the 2015 competition, the Judges’ Special Award went to the Mitsubishi Outlander GX4hs 2.0 PHEV – the PHEV hybrid’s innovative electric/petrol technology was assessed shoulder to shoulder against more traditional vehicles.

Grenville Chamberlain, Caravan Club Chairman, commented, “It was great to see such a diverse variety of vehicles entered into this competition.  Whether people want to tow a small trailer tent or a large, twin-axle caravan, there is a vehicle choice to suit all needs.  On behalf of The Caravan Club, our congratulations go to all the winners, and a special mention to SEAT for their victorious Leon.  I am sure we will be seeing competition entrants on Club sites in the near future.”