The Volkswagen Passat R-Line 2.0 TSI 204PS DSG has won this year’s overall trophy and been crowned Caravan and Motorhome Club Towcar of the Year 2026. The Passat also claimed victory in the Family Towcars and Caravan weight 1300kg-1500kg categories. It was a hugely successful year for Volkswagen as it also topped the podium in the Large Family Towcar category with its Multivan Style 2.0 TSI 204PS.
The Passat has been a common sight on Britain’s roads for 50 years – in many ways it’s the definitive, practical family car, and the latest ninth-generation version is the best of the lot. It’s so good that the judging panel for the Caravan and Motorhome Club Towcar of the Year Awards 2026 overwhelmingly voted it as the overall winner.
The Passat impressed the judges with its superb towing capabilities, power, quality interior, refined driving experience and huge storage space in the boot.
Caravan and Motorhome Club Towcar of the Year, the leisure vehicle industry’s original and longest-standing towcar testing awards, saw 37 high-quality entrants put through their paces at the world-class UTAC Millbrook Proving Ground testing facility in Bedfordshire.
Rather than being listed by price, the vehicles were split into categories by caravan weight – this makes it easier for potential buyers to work out which cars can tow their own caravans. There were also special award categories for Pick-Up Towcars, Family Towcars, Large Family Towcars, Electric Towcars, Hybrid Towcars and Luxury Towcars.
As the industry evolves, the range of vehicles in the competition has expanded, with entries spanning a broad spectrum from affordable options to premium, high-end towcars. Fifteen of the entrants were pure-electric and there was also a host of hybrids.
Every one of the cars featured in this year’s competition has been extensively evaluated – for more information about each model, including technical data, visit camc.com/towcar.
The complete winners’ line-up:
Caravan weight under 1300kg: ŠKODA Enyaq SportLine 85x 82kWh 210 kW 4×4
Caravan weight 1300kg – 1500kg: Family Towcars plus overall Caravan and Motorhome Club Towcar of the Year 2026: Volkswagen Passat R-Line 2.0 TSI 204PS DSG
Caravan weight 1500kg – 1600kg: Nissan ARIYA e-4ORCE EVOLVE 87 kWh
Caravan weight 1600kg – 1700kg: Genesis GV60 Sport Plus
Caravan weight 1700kg – 1800kg: BMW X3 M50
Caravan weight 1800kg – 2000kg: Porsche Macan Electric
Caravan weight over 2000kg and Electric Towcars: BMW iX xDrive60 M Sport
Hybrid Towcars: Volvo XC90 T8 Plug-in Hybrid AWD Ultra
Large Family Towcars: Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles Multivan Style 2.0 TSI 204PS
Pick Up Towcars: Isuzu D-Max STEEL Edition
Luxury Towcars: Bentley Bentayga EWB Mulliner
Nick Lomas, Director General of the Caravan and Motorhome Club, said, “The pace of technological advancement in motoring has been remarkable and the strong presence of electric vehicles in this year’s competition highlights just how far the industry has come. We warmly congratulate all the deserving winners of the Caravan and Motorhome Club Towcar of the Year 2026 Awards. Our expert judging panel delivered thorough, unbiased evaluations to support anyone looking to purchase a towcar, whether new or pre-owned, with trusted, professional insight.”
