CARS UNDER £16,000
CARAVAN CLUB TOWCAR OF THE YEAR
Peugeot 207 Sport
ICONS
Obvious gains in the luggage
SW HDi 110
department helped, but the track
Ratios just right testers also found the estate
Storage performed better, commenting
particularly on the good selection of
gear ratios. Handling was generally
Towball/sockets/
OK but the fairly light bodywork
ease of hitching/
could be upset by crosswinds.
bulb failure warning
Hillstarts were generally drama free
apart from some clutch slip; and if
you come to a halt beware of the
Towing information
weak handbrake. Impressive load
in handbook
carrier, but like its hatchback sibling
sports no visual or audible warning of
Value for money
caravan bulb failure.
(running costs)
The icons are there to help you
S
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koda Fabia Sport
identify a particular car’s Peugeot 207 Sport down on the road when there is a
1.9 TDI
strength. The symbol at the SW HDi 110 caravan hanging on the back end.
Well put together
start of each entry identifies
Price as tested £15,333 You have to be careful on takeoff,
what, in our opinion, is the car’s
A likeable car with a especially on severe hills. Handling is
greatest strength as a towcar
comfortable interior and a good and the engine very willing, but
willing 1.6-litre diesel engine you can forget top gear (6th) when
Under £16,000
coupled to five-speed manual towing. For caravanning use, better
Class Winner
transmission. The gearbox is not only to stick with the 1.6 engine and
Citroën Berlingo
Hyundai i30 1.6 Estate nice to use but the ratios are just right estate car bodywork. Noseweight of
Multispace
Great engine and gearbox
– this was one of the cars that took 75kg is more than acceptable and
XTR 1.6 HDi 110
Kia cee’d SW 1.6 CRDi LS nicely-spaced gear ratios. A clean our long 14% slog in third gear. Be the car comes with reasonably
Price as tested £15,484 start on the hills and no problems aware though that Peugeot’s small comprehensive towing information in
Kia obviously had high with towing at 70mph-plus. A good estate car has a measly 46kg its handbook. Sits very level when
hopes of its cee’d as a top load carrier, this cee’d also comes noseweight limit. Not having enough hitched up.
Citroën Berlingo towcar, entering three with excellent towing data in its downforce at the front of the caravan
Multispace XTR different versions. None of them handbook. might have had something to do with S
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koda Fabia Sport 1.9 TDI
1.6 HDi (110hp) walked off with a trophy but don’t let its less-than-perfect stability at high Price as tested £13,007
Price as tested that fool you: for quality, value and Hyundai i30 1.6 Estate speed – nothing scary, but be aware. The cheapest car in this
£15,265 towing guts the cee’d is hard to beat Price as tested £15,177 Not the greatest load carrier but year’s competition, the stability. Space for only half of our
First appearance of Citroën’s ’cheeky and several of the judges found this Well there’s a surprise. Right good access to towing sockets S
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koda Fabia Sport lags caravanning load and has no caravan
S
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koda Fabia Estate
chappy’ on the small MPV market SW 1.6 CRDi estate car preferable to behind the 1.6 cee’d in the makes this an easy towcar to hitch up. behind more modern designs. Its indicator bulb failure warning
1.9 TDI
was 10 years ago but the latest the 2.0-litre models. Tailgate design markings comes the i30 engine feels unrefined and runs out whatsoever. Best in class for running
version of the Berlingo has the up- makes for easy loading of your Estate from Korea’s other big Kia cee’d 2.0 CRDi Sport of puff when others would be costs, though.
Impressive load carrier
to-date underpinnings of the C4 caravanning gear (though big rear manufacturer, Hyundai. Actually they Price as tested £15,993 steaming ahead, and though the car
Picasso. Berlingo has retained its pillars don’t help three-quarter are part of the same group but it says Probably a bit too sporty to seems well put together it is all a bit S
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koda Fabia Estate 1.9 TDI
great versatility with three removable vision), and out on the track the something about the consistency of make a top-notch towcar, bland. A poor handbrake didn’t help Price as tested £13,337
back seats, rear sliding doors and driving judges were full of praise for our judges’ marking that the two the 2.0 CRDi Sport has many and neither does the 50kg Judges were kinder about
features like interior roof bars and the 1.6 SW’s peppy diesel engine and cars’ marks were so close. Top marks of the earlier car’s virtues but it has noseweight limit – though judges the Skoda Fabia Estate than
lots of glass area. On the test track trouble getting the extra power weren’t too critical of the car’s the hatchback.
the Multispace XTR 1.6HDi proved
lively enough with a caravan on the
back, turned in a great performance again for engine performance and
on the hill route and gave great suitability of the manual gearbox for
visibility courtesy of big door mirrors towing; and on the tough hill restart
and some view back through the the Hyundai’s handbrake won friends
caravan. Very strong crosswinds for its strong hold despite long travel.
could catch out the slab-sided It’s a comfortable car too, but
Berlingo at times, but if the caravan comments were made about the blue
went out of shape the Citroën soon used for digital readouts on the
whipped it back into line. Be aware dashboard – not easy to read. As
that the Berlingo has a fairly measly you’d expect from an estate, it
55kg noseweight limit, but if you can happily takes a good caravanning
live with that it makes a fine towcar load. Also offers value for money in
that you will love to drive. Hard to terms of running costs – which
beat for storage, swallowing all our includes CO
2
, insurance group,
typical caravanner’s load with service hours and on the road price.
contemptuous ease. Spare wheel
Kia cee’d SW 1.6
Poor access to spare wheel, though,
easily accessed when loaded up. when loaded up.
Kia cee’d CRDi Sport
CRDi LS
Care needed on takeoff
08
Quality and value
THE CARAVAN CLUB MAGAZINE
OCTOBER 2008 THE CARAVAN CLUB MAGAZINE 09
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