• Passat named overall winner after topping 1,550-1,699 kg class
• Passat becomes first car to win the title four times
• ‘Feels like it is designed with caravanning in mind’ said expert judges

Milton Keynes – The Volkswagen Passat is the best car for towing in the UK that money can buy, according to experts at What Car? magazine and The Camping and Caravanning Club.

The Passat 1.5 eTSI R-Line was crowned the overall winner in the What Car? Tow Car Awards 2024 after topping its category for vehicles with a kerb weight from 1,550 to 1,699 kg. Judges said it was a ‘clear winner’ after being bowled over by its handling, space and value for money.

“Despite being relatively light at 1,572kg, the Volkswagen Passat tows with the assurance of a larger car,” said What Car? Editor Steve Huntingford. “It feels like it is designed with caravanning in mind, towing straight and true even at high speeds.

“The new car is larger than the old model, too, with lots of room inside for passengers and luggage. And the Passat shows that you don’t need a CEO’s salary to buy a brilliant, modern tow car. Just as in 2007, 2011, and 2015, it’s a clear winner.”

The What Car? Tow Car Awards are a joint venture between What Car? magazine and The Camping and Caravanning Club. Cars are put through their paces in a week-long test programme that includes emergency lane changes, 30 to 60 mph acceleration, braking and a hill-start. Cars are also scored for everyday driving, practicality as tow cars, running costs and value for money.

This is the fourth time the Passat has won the overall title, the only car to have done so. Its previous victories were in 2007, 2011 and 2015.

Instant success for latest-generation Passat
These What Car? Tow Car Awards come less than five months after the ninth-generation Passat – Volkswagen’s most aerodynamic estate car to date – went on sale in the UK. Its coefficient of drag (Cd) is just 0.25 – lower than that of many sports cars – making this an economical and cost-effective choice for anyone looking for a modern estate car.

With plenty of space for five people thanks to its long wheelbase, and up to 1,920 litres of rear storage space, the Passat Estate is an ideal all-rounder for business and leisure.

Comfort, with or without a caravan or trailer, is enhanced by high-grade materials and the DCC Pro adaptive chassis control. The Passat is also equipped with a Vehicle Dynamics Manager, which controls the electronic differential locks (XDS) and shock absorbers in the DCC Pro system for optimum handling characteristics.

The Volkswagen Passat is available in three trims: Life, Elegance and R-Line. Customers can choose between the 1.5 eTSI 150 PS mild hybrid petrol engine or plug-in eHybrids with outputs of 204 and 272 PS. The plug-in eHybrids combine a high-tech turbocharged petrol engine with a 19.7 kWh battery that offers a range of up to 100 kilometres.

More than 34 million Volkswagen Passats have been sold worldwide since the covers came off the first generation in 1973, making it the second best-selling Volkswagen model to date behind the iconic Golf.