Are you aware of the existence of the Tow Car Awards, which take place annually? I certainly wasn’t, but if you’re a fan of camping, caravans or caravanning as a pastime, then the perfect car for the job has just been given its crown.

Since 2007, experts from Practical Caravan, What Car? And The Camping and Caravanning Club have combined to test cars, from hatchbacks to SUVs, on their towing ability. Other factors come into play, with the solo driving experience, practicality and ownership realities all being considered when deciding the prize winner. Value for money, safety standards and resale values also come under consideration. Previous years have seen the likes of the BMW 520, Volkswagen Arteon and Nissan Qashqai take home the prestigious prize.

This year, the Nissan X-Trail e-4orce with e-POWER picked up the prestigious accolade, winning in the 1700-1899kg category. The X-Trail combines a muscular design with advanced technologies to tow with ease. Whilst it isn’t fully an EV, composed of a petrol engine and lithium ion battery, the two work together to power an electric motor without the need to plug in to recharge. The result is a smooth all-wheel driving experience.

The X-Trail is already well renowned as one of Nissan’s most successful vehicles. On sale for more than 20 years, the car is sold in more than 100 markets and the new version is the fourth iteration of the vehicle. Available as a five or seven-seater, it launched last year, drawing on inspiration from the previous three generations of X-Trail.

Steve Huntingford, Editor at What Car? said: “Sometimes, it pays to be different, with the unusual e-POWER set-up helping to make it a hugely capable tow car.

“The instant torque it delivers means hill starts are easy. Plus, the X-Trail combines punchy performance with impressive high-speed stability, and it remained very composed in our emergency lane change test, quickly pulling the caravan straight again.”

If caravanning is your thing, you’re going to want the best car for the job. We all remember the famous caravanning episode of Top Gear, when a queue of cars was stuck behind the trio in their Kia Cerato as it struggled up various hills. The X-Trail seems like it won’t have that problem. And as long as your caravan doesn’t meet the same fate as Top Gear’s, I’m sure you’ll have a lovely holiday.

Words: Mike Booth
Picture: Nissan