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Volkswagen Passat Secures Record Fourth Win As Britain's Best Tow Car In 2024
The Volkswagen Passat has been declared the best car for towing for the fourth time at the annual What Car? Tow Car Awards. This event, held in collaboration with the Camping and Caravanning Club and supported by Adria Caravans, recognises excellence in towing vehicles.
What Car? editor Steve Huntingford praised the Passat, stating, "The new Passat shows that you don’t need a CEO’s salary to buy a brilliant, modern tow car. Despite being relatively light, it pulls with the assurance and stability of a heavyweight. What’s more, it has powerful brakes, remains unflappable during a sudden lane change, and is as comfortable as it is practical."
Huw Hopkins from the Camping and Caravanning Club added, "Whenever the Passat has won the overall title in the past, we’ve always recommended a diesel. But while the new car isn’t available with diesel power, the abilities of the 1.5-litre mild-hybrid petrol meant we didn’t miss it. This engine is both smooth and quiet, it copes easily with a sensibly matched caravan, and fuel economy is distinctly diesel-like."
The awards also recognised winners in four different towing weight classes. The Ford Focus Estate 1.0 mHEV 155 Active X won in the up to 1549kg category. The Volkswagen Passat 1.5 eTSI 150 R-Line took the prize for the 1550-1699kg class.
In the 1700-1999kg category, the Nissan X-Trail e-Power 213 e-4orce Tekna emerged victorious. The BMW X5 xDrive50e M Sport was named best in the 2000kg+ category.
The Kia EV9 AWD GT-Line was awarded best electric car for towing. Additionally, the Kia Sorento 2.2 CRDi 3 was recognised as the best used tow car.
Testing Process
The testing process involved matching eligible cars to caravans weighted to 85% of the car's kerb weight or its legal towing limit, whichever was lower. The cars were then ballasted to simulate driving with passengers and luggage.
One of What Car?'s expert road testers handled manoeuvres designed to show which cars stay under control in emergencies. Meanwhile, drivers from the Camping and Caravanning Club assessed high-speed stability, carried out hill starts on a 1-in-6 slope, and looked for towing-friendly features such as trailer stability systems.
Supporting Brands
Key brands supporting the testing included Adria Caravans, Al-Ko, Milenco, and Witter.
Tow Car Awards 2024 Winners
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Overall winner | Volkswagen Passat 1.5 eTSI 150 R-Line |
| Up to 1549kg | Ford Focus Estate 1.0 mHEV 155 Active X |
| 1550-1699kg | Volkswagen Passat 1.5 eTSI 150 R-Line |
| 1700-1999kg | Nissan X-Trail e-Power 213 e-4orce Tekna |
| 2000kg+ | BMW X5 xDrive50e M Sport |
| Electric tow car | Kia EV9 AWD GT-Line |
| Used tow car | Kia Sorento 2.2 CRDi 3 |
The What Car? Tow Car Awards have been held since 2007 in partnership with the Camping and Caravanning Club. The Volkswagen Passat previously won top honours in 2007, 2011, and 2015.
This year’s awards highlight vehicles that excel in towing capabilities across various categories, ensuring consumers have reliable information when choosing their next tow car.
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