by Chris Jefferies
The Skoda Superb Elegance Estate has been named as the best towcar to buy in 2014 by a panel of Caravan Club judges.
This year’s version of the Superb is the fourth Skoda estate car to win the much-coveted award, as the 2003, 2009 and 2011 incarnations have also taken the top prize.
This time around the assembled experts chose the 2.0-litre diesel with four-wheel drive as the pick of the bunch.
Following a rigorous testing process, which involved towing a Bailey of Bristol caravan around the Millbrook proving ground, the judges concluded that the Skoda is “about as good as it gets”.
The Superb was not the only Skoda to pick up an accolade, as the 1.2-litre Octavia SE was named as the best car in the £16,000-£20,000 category.
Other vehicles to pick up awards included the reigning champion, the Volkswagen Jetta Sport, which claimed the title of best car from £20,000-£25,000.
Organised by the Caravan Club, the Towcar of the Year awards has been running for 31 years, and in that time it has become a key indicator of the very best cars on the market for towing a caravan.
This year’s ceremony was held at the Royal Automobile Club in London, where special guest Perry McCarthy handed out the gongs.
The former racing driver also treated the crowd to a few cheeky anecdotes from his days as the original Stig on BBC One’s Top Gear, revealing how he once wrecked Jamie Oliver’s Maserati during a filming session.
But the day belonged to a prestigious roll call of much more practical family cars. The full list of winners from the 2014 Towcar of the Year is as follows:
- Under £16,000: SsangYong Korando SE
- £16,000-£20,000: Skoda Octavia SE 1.2 TSI
- £20,000-£25,000: Volkswagen Jetta Sport 2.0 TDI DSG
- £25,000-£31,000: Skoda Superb Elegance Estate 2.0 TDI CR DSG 4×4
- £31,000-£41,000: Jaguar XF 2.2D Luxury
- £41,000-£51,000: Jaguar XF Sportbrake 3.0D Portfolio
- Over £51,000: Land Rover Range Rover SDV8 Autobiography
- Judges’ Special Award: Dacia Duster Ambience 4×4
- Overall Winner: Skoda Superb Elegance Estate 2.0 TDI CR DSG 4×4
