Tow Car Awards 2026: The results are in!
Published:
We're proud to have supported the annual What Car? Tow Car Awards - the UK's most rigorous tow car testing programme - in partnership with What Car? and The Camping and Caravanning Club.
Hosted at the renowned HORIBA MIRA test track, the 2026 awards saw vehicles put through their paces. Each car was tested towing a Swift caravan - carefully prepared to its Maximum Technically Permissible Laden Mass (MTPLM) - to ensure a realistic and consistent comparison across real-world driving conditions.
Whether petrol, diesel, hybrid or electric, the tests looked at stability, hill starts, braking, performance, and more - all to determine the best towing vehicles across multiple weight categories.
Tow Car Awards 2026 - Category winners (with compatible Swift caravans)
Discover the winners from this year’s event, plus we've matched each award-winning vehicle with compatible 2026 Swift caravans, so you can easily find your ideal pairing:
Overall Winner 2026
BMW 530e M Sport
This vehicle has a max tow of 1,800kg and can tow the following from the 2026 Swift caravan range:
- Basecamp
- Sprite
- Challenger
- Challenger Grande
- Conqueror
- Conqueror Grande
Cars for caravans; up to 1,300kg
Volkswagen T-Roc 1.5 Etsi 150PS R-Line DSG
This vehicle has a max tow of 1,500kg and can tow the following from the 2026 Swift caravan range:
- Basecamp
- Sprite
- Challenger 390, 480, 500, 560 & 590
- Challenger Grande 580
- Conqueror 480
Cars for caravans; up to 1,499kg
Kia Sportage HEV 'GT-Line S' AWD
This vehicle has a max tow of 1,510kg and can tow the following from the 2026 Swift caravan range:
- Basecamp
- Sprite
- Challenger 390, 480, 500, 560 & 590
- Challenger Grande 580
- Conqueror 480
Cars for caravans; up to 1,700kg
Skoda Kodiaq 2.0 TDI 193PS Sportline DSG 4X4
This vehicle has a max tow of 2,400kg and can tow the following from the 2026 Swift caravan range:
- Basecamp
- Sprite
- Challenger
- Challenger Grande
- Conqueror
- Conqueror Grande
- Elegance Grande
Cars for caravans; over 1,700kg
BMW 530e M Sport
This vehicle has a max tow of 1,800kg and can tow the following from the 2026 Swift caravan range:
- Basecamp
- Sprite
- Challenger
- Challenger Grande
- Conqueror
- Conqueror Grande
Best Luxury SUV
Land Rover Discovery D350 Gemini
This vehicle has a max tow of 3,500kg and can tow the following from the 2026 Swift caravan range:
- Basecamp
- Sprite
- Challenger
- Challenger Grande
- Conqueror
- Conqueror Grande
- Elegance Grande
Electric cars for caravans; up to 1,400kg
Skoda Elroq 85 SE L
This vehicle has a max tow of 1,000kg and can tow the following from the 2026 Swift caravan range:
- Basecamp
Electric cars for caravans; over 1,400kg
BMW IX3 50 xDrive M Sport
This vehicle has a max tow of 2,000kg and can tow the following from the 2026 Swift caravan range:
- Basecamp
- Sprite
- Challenger
- Challenger Grande
- Conqueror
- Conqueror Grande
- Elegance Grande
Used cars for caravans
Hyundai Santa Fe 1.6 T-GDI 4X4 (2021 - 2024)
This vehicle has a max tow of 2,000kg and can tow the following from the 2026 Swift caravan range:
- Basecamp
- Sprite
- Challenger
- Challenger Grande
- Conqueror
- Conqueror Grande
- Elegance Grande
Please note: All caravan and car combinations featured are based on the Manufacturer towing capacity at 100%. However, for those new to towing, we recommend following the widely recognised 85% guideline. Please check your vehicle's towing capacity and kerbweight to ensure your chosen caravan falls within the recommended limits.