The Tow Car Awards is the Oscars to caravanners.

The annual prize-giving – now in its 20th year – hands out gongs to the best new and used models when it comes to hauling caravans and trailers.

After arduous testing by What Car? and the Camping and Caravanning Club, the BMW 530e Touring – a £62,000 plug-in hybrid estate – took the overall crown for 2026.

However, the event signalled a major shift in car recommendations for those who caravan regularly.

While diesel has typically been the fuel type of choice for its characteristically strong torque (pulling power), experts say hybrids are now the better option – even more so than fully electric cars.

At a time when more motorists are considering switching to EVs, What Car? says charging infrastructure still isn’t suitable for caravanners.

This is why five of the seven category prizes in this year’s awards were handed to hybrid models boasting both combustion engine and electric power.

The best car to go pulling: The BMW 530e Touring – a £62,000 plug-in hybrid estate – has taken the overall crown as Tow Car of the Year 2026 in an annual Oscars for caravanners

The 2026 Tow Car of the Year isn’t cheap; the BMW 530e Touring starts from £61,930.

But What Car? says its towing capabilities and electric-only range of up to 59 miles put it ahead of 41 other vehicles it tested this year.

And while EVs were deemed to be great options for towing, the nation’s public charging network isn’t designed to accommodate drivers who regularly pull a caravan behind their motor, the experts said. 

‘Rising fuel prices and competitive deals on fully electric vehicles have seen these models take a record share of the new car market in 2026. But the difficulty of recharging while your car is hitched to a caravan or trailer continues to make towing with an EV challenging,’ explained What Car? editor Steve Huntingford.

‘Fortunately, plug-in hybrids like the BMW 530e offer zero exhaust emissions for many everyday journeys without the complication of charging while towing.’

The BMW 5 Series Touring PHEV beat 41 rivals to the crown of tow car of the year as experts say hybrids are now a better option than the long-standing caravanners favourite, the diesel

For those on a tighter budget, the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid (2021–2024) was named the Used Tow Car of the Year.

Of the 42 vehicles tested this year, 25 were hybrids and 12 fully electric cars, while just five of the models had no form of electrification.

Other hybrid award winners include the Volkswagen T-Roc eTSI 150PS mild hybrid, which was named ‘Best car for towing up to 1,300kg’, and the Kia Sportage HEV AWD – a full hybrid – which won ‘Best car for towing up to 1,500kg’.

Diesel engines have long been the default choice for towing, but just six of this year’s field were diesel-powered.

Three of the six had mild-hybrid assistance for the engine, but just one diesel picked up a trophy: the Skoda Kodiaq 2.0 TDI 4×4.

What Car? editor Steve Huntingford says EVs are perfectly capable of pulling caravans but the public charging infrastructure is poorly designed for drivers who have one hitched to the back

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The Camping and Caravanning Club’s technical manager, Ian Hewlett, said: ‘While diesel still has its place, we’re seeing more and more Club members switch to hybrid cars.

‘The only way in which hybrids tend to suffer in comparison with diesels is their towing capacity, which is usually lower, so it’s important that drivers check the towing capacity carefully before making the switch.’

But while caravanners are being urged to steer away from diesel, experts say they need to think carefully about which type of hybrid best suits their needs before choosing one as a tow car.

‘Plug-in hybrids offer the lowest running costs, but only if they are recharged regularly,’ explained Huntingford.

‘This type of hybrid works best for drivers who can install a home charger. Otherwise, a mild or full hybrid makes more sense.

‘A plug-in hybrid tow car offers excellent fuel economy with a fully charged battery. We found the BMW 530e Touring returned 38.5mpg.

‘And even with the electric range showing as zero miles, it achieved 24.3mpg while pulling a caravan. It’s a brilliant hybrid and a great tow car.’