Going in search of pulling power

The hippest motoring word right now is, “staycation”, writes Sharon Walters.

That’s the latest in-speak for the increasing number of Britons who will be driving to a holiday at home this year, a move that will also see far more caravans taking to the roads.

With an extra five million of us due to take a UK vacation instead of the more usual overseas trip, the spotlight is now switching firmly to caravans.

And, in turn, the cars that tow them.

This, too, means that for drivers and car makers alike, towcar awards are becoming more important than ever.

Many motorists will admit to needing guidance when buying a towing vehicle, which gives greater emphasis to the annual honours verdict of experts in the know.

“With more than £1 billion annually spent on towing cars, there is a real thirst for unbiased buying advice,” says Practical Caravan magazine editor Nigel Donnelly.

“Consumers want to buy a great towing car that works for their holiday – when they are towing a tonne-and-a-half of wood, metal and plastic.

“It also has to work in real life, on the daily commute, the weekly shop and school.” 

This year, Donnelly and his fellow experts have named the Volvo XC60 five-door crossover as the car that does all that, crowning it as Overall Winner of the Towcar Awards 2009.

Judges from What Car? and Practical Caravan magazines, and The Camping and Caravanning Club, agreed that the XC60 “is not just a great towcar, it’s also a great car when there isn’t a caravan or a trailer hitched to the back.

“It is comfortable, spacious, good-looking, good to drive, and affordable.”

The 39 cars tested in this year’s awards, Britain’s largest and most rigorous towcar testing programme, were put through a series of specially-devised tests for stability, hill starts, acceleration and braking, and practicality at the Motor Industry Research Centre in Warwickshire.

The XC60 also won the best vehicle in its class title, for 1,900kg-plus kerb weight.

Volvo has a strong track record in delivering award-winning towing vehicles, and Peter Rask, managing director at Volvo UK, says it is good to see the latest XC60 model continuing that proud tradition. 

The Volkswagen Golf 2.0 TDI 140 SE five-door picked up two awards, the first for the under-1,425kg category, and also the much-coveted Green Award.

Judges praised its towing abilities, its road practicalities as well as being good value, yielding low C02 and maintaining high residual values.

The British-built Jaguar XF was awarded the Money No Object Award for the 3.0 Diesel S Premium Luxury model, with judges praising its effortless, quick and rock-solid towing abilities “that made every journey special”.

Ford did well, too – the Ford S-Max 2.2-litre TDCi Titanium was judged best in its weight class, 1,725-1,899kg, while the Ford Kuga 2.0-litre TDCi Zetec took top honours in the 1,425-1,574kg category.

Of the S-Max, the judges said: “It’s even better. Stability is excellent, even at high speeds, with a supple, well-controlled ride.”

And the Kuga attracted this praise: “It’s a smooth and responsive engine, so overtaking isn’t a problem.

If you need to stop in a hurry, the Kuga also delivers, stopping from 30mph in just 10.8 metres.”

By Sharon Walters