Last year, the Discovery was our favourite big tow car. The new Volvo XC60 is better value and just does enough to beat the Discovery, but this Land Rover is still an exceptional car.

There’s a huge amount of space inside. Even those in seats six and seven have enough room to make themselves comfortable, and with the two rearmost seats folded away, luggage room is excellent. Certainly we had no trouble finding room for a full load of luggage.

Few cars can match the Discovery’s supple ride, whether driven solo or with a caravan in tow. Bumps that are felt with a shudder in lesser cars seem to disappear beneath the Land Rover’s tyres. Yet it is still controlled enough for stable, relaxed towing. It’s not as nimble in the lane-change manoeuvre as some rivals, and there’s lots of body roll through corners, but it never feels sloppy.

Performance is determined rather than quick, but we know from experience that this car will happily tow all day at 60mph, and still leave you feeling fresh at the end of the journey. It says a lot that, after testing around 140 towcars over the last three years, one of our judges has just bought a Discovery.