This year the Volkswagen Golf chalks up yet another class win. Since the Tow Car Awards began, the VW has taken the honours more often than not.

It doesn’t feel like a small car when you’re towing. At the motorway limit the Golf feels secure and in control, an impression that’s backed up by data from the caravan’s Al-Ko ATC sensors. In the emergency lane-change test, the caravan slid around but never upset the car.

So long as the handbrake was given a firm pull, it held the outfit still on the 1-in-6 test hill. With a careful balance of clutch and throttle, the Golf coped with the slope in first gear and in reverse.

The 2.0 TDI has enough muscle to pull any suitable match. The engine is smooth and unflustered, even when pulling from low revs.

Inside, the cabin has decent head- and legroom, front and rear, although there’s not enough luggage space for our full load of holiday kit.

The Golf should prove hassle-free to own, with strong resale values and impressive economy.