Towcar Awards 2007

Choosing the right towcar will become a whole lot easier this summer with the launch of the Towcar Awards.

What Car? magazine, Practical Caravan, and The Camping and Caravanning Club have joined forces to set a new benchmark for towcar testing. Every car on test will be judged across four broad categories: towing ability, driving unhitched, practicality and buying, owning and the environment. Only cars which perform well across the board can hope to win an award.

Each of the three partners in the Towcar Awards brings its own expertise to the project. What Car? has been the car buyer’s champion for over 30 years. Its road tests are the most thorough in the business. Practical Caravan is Britain’s best-selling caravan magazine and is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. The Camping and Caravanning Club has been serving caravanners and campers for over 106 years. Its technical department adds in-depth technical knowledge and an unrivalled depth of experience.

The three partners will receive support from the Swift Group, Britain’s biggest caravan manufacturer, who will supply the caravans for towing.

Steve Fowler, group editor of What Car?, commented: “We’re delighted to be part of the Towcar Awards. What Car? is all about helping people buy the right car at the right price, whatever their needs. As the towing community grows in size, we’re getting an increasing number of people looking for buying information about towcars. The Towcar Awards will set a new benchmark for expert, impartial advice in this hugely important market.”

David Motton, editor of Practical Caravan, said: “These awards are different from other towcar tests. For one thing, we’re going to choose the cars we test, rather than invite manufacturers to send any model they like. Proper acceleration and braking tests using satellite tracking equipment will take the guesswork out of performance testing, and emission levels and running costs will also be assessed.”

David Welsford, Director General of The Camping and Caravanning Club, said: “The club is absolutely delighted to be involved in this exciting initiative. The club’s participation will add in-depth technical and practical understanding to the tests and, as such, will help to make these the definitive towcar awards.”

The Awards will be published in Practical Caravan’s August issue, on sale 20 June. The Camping and Caravanning Club’s magazine will publish the results in its July issue, posted to members on 25 June. What Car? will feature the results in its ‘New Reg’ issue, on sale 5 July.