The 2019 Tow Car Award Winners

Winner: Škoda Octavia Hatch 1.5 TSI 150PS SE L DSG

This is the sixth time the Skoda Octavia has won in this category in the 13 years of the Tow Car Awards. You might spot something different this year, though… It’s a petrol model that's taken the crown in 2019, for the first time in the history of this category. The 1.5-litre petrol has 184lb of torque which is enough for the Octavia to pull a van up to 85% of its own weight. Very impressive.

Winner: Seat Ateca 2.0 TSI 190PS FR DSG

The Tow Car Award judges credited the Ateca most strongly for its stability, which is the cornerstone of towing. Throughout all the challenging tests the Ateca performed in a calm and composed manner. The Ateca also offered plenty of speed, which isn’t high on the priorities of a tow car, but the Ateca delivered anyway thanks to the 190 PS on tap. Judges were also really pleased with the level of comfort and practicality on offer from the SEAT.

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Winner: BMW 520d Touring xDrive M Sport

The 520d took the crown as the Overall Winner last year and it has returned to defend its honour. The 520d has once again secured the title in its weight category though, despite stiff competition from the Volvo V60 Cross Country. The 520d is credited for being too difficult to fault. It performs nobly in every single test. The judges even stated that although there are more powerful versions of the 5 Series Touring available, the 520d is more than good enough anyway, so most people needn’t bother to splash the cash on a more expensive engine. The 30-0mph stopping distance of just 9.7 metres was one of the shortest tested in 2019 too.

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Winner: Land Rover Discovery 3.0 SDV6 HSE

The be all and end all of off-road vehicles. The Discovery has won this category for 12 out of the 13 years that the category has existed. The Discovery was actually beaten or matched by the Volkswagen Tiguan and BMW X5 in some of the extreme maneuvers, but it prospered overall as you would expect. So much was credited about the Land Rover, with highlights being the refined cabin, stability at speed, acceleration, braking and cabin flexibility. The judges noted that the Disco is pretty expensive, but the resale values are pretty strong too.

Winner: Dacia Duster 1.5 dCi Ambiance 4x4

The Duster is still extremely difficult to fault when it is priced so affordably, with models available below the £10,000 mark. There’s simply no cars out there that compete in terms of value for money. Naturally, you’ll want the 4x4 model of the Duster, which is pricier but still ridiculously cheap. The judges acknowledged that the Duster is very basic and lacks luxuries, but that’s not what this category is about, and the Duster was credited for its persistence, ruggedness and willpower. 

Winner: Land Rover Range Rover Sport P400e HSE Dynamic

A Range Rover that can return between 75.3 and 86.9 mpg on the new and updated WLTP combined cycle. How ridiculously good is that? This model of the Sport weight 2,464 kilograms, but it has a maximum towing weight of 2,500 kilograms - more than its own bodyweight, work that one out. Towing a twin-axle Swift caravan from 30-60mph took 8.6 seconds, so the Range Rover Hybrid has tons of power and is supremely stable. What a car. It starts at a pretty hefty £75,000 but all hybrids are expensive in this category.

Winner: Seat Arona 1.0 TSI 115 FR

It's crazy to think that 1.0-litre petrol engine with only 115 PS is even remotely capable of towing a caravan, but it’s true. The Arona managed to keep the Swift Basecamp caravan ‘firmly in control’ while at high speeds and also while decelerating. For such a small car, the Arona was labelled as ‘exceptional’ when changing lanes. What more is there to say? It’s reasonably priced too and is very well equipped throughout the trim levels. Well done SEAT.

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Winner: Ford Focus Estate 1.5 EcoBlue 120PS Titanium X

The 1.5 litre Diesel found in the Ford Focus Estate isn’t the most powerful in the range, nor is it the most affordable, however it does strike a really sweet spot. It can return up to a massive 74 mpg on a motorway run under the right conditions. That’s really rather exceptional. It gets better though. Even when towing, the Ford Focus managed to return an impressive 33 mpg. It’s not the fastest, though, as it took 15.9 seconds to get from 30 mph to 60 mph while towing a caravan.

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Winner: Volkswagen Arteon 2.0 TDI 150PS Elegance DSG

And taking top honours for 2019 is the Volkswagen Arteon. Wait, what? A coupe-styled ‘Fastback’ has come out as the overall winner of the Tow Car awards? Yes. We were surprised too but the judges have commented on a long list of areas where the Arteon has excelled. Crosswinds, high speeds, emergency maneuvers, heavy braking, all dealt with comfortably by this stylish VW. The 150 PS engine provides plenty of power for regular driving and bucket-loads of torque for towing. This model will also return up to 29.1 mpg with a caravan on the back too, which isn’t far off the most economical tow-cars on the market. It’s a surprising winner, sure, but it is more than deserved. Well done Volkswagen.