Skoda wins top UK tow award
Euro station wagon capable of towing just 1500kg wins Caravan Club Towcar of the Year awardA car that couldn’t legally tow most caravans sold in Australia, has taken out the major prize at Britain’s most prestigious tow vehicle awards.
The winner of the 2013 Caravan Club Towcar of the Year award was a Skoda Superb Elegance Estate featuring a 125kW/350Nm 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine, four-wheel drive and six-speed DSG (automatic) transmission.
The European station wagon (a similar variant retails in Australia for around $50,000) has a maximum braked towing capacity of just 1500kg and 75kg ball weight, and towed a 1344kg Bailey caravan during this year’s testing at the Millbrook proving ground.
Among other things the judges were impressed with the Skoda’s ‘caravanability’ which measured such things as the vehicle’s attitude when hitched and accessibility to boot space when hitched.
The Skoda also did well in tests involving typical caravanner’s overtaking speeds, clocking 11.6 seconds for the 30-60mph (48-96km/h) acceleration test and nine seconds for 40-60mph (64-96km/h).
Forty one vehicles took part in this year’s awards, with everything from a 1.2-litre Skoda Octavia runabout to a sporty Jaguar XF taking out various category awards.
Also winning its category was a tow vehicle more familiar to Aussie caravanners, the Range Rover SDV8 Autobiography, which features a lusty eight-cylinder turbo-diesel engine, 3500kg towing capacity and (in Australia) $250,000 on-the-road pricing,
Volkswagen, which owns Skoda, is a regular winner of the annual Towcar Awards, with a VW Jetta capable of towing just 1400kg picking up last year’s major award.
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