The Range Rover Evoque is held back by its high price and relatively small interior. As a car to tow with, though, it’s very good indeed.

We’ve tested the Evoque before, but now it has the new ‘Ingenium’ engine and a nine-speed automatic gearbox. It’s a moot point whether a car with 317lb ft of torque really needs nine forward gears, but the ‘box certainly swaps ratios smoothly. Sprinting from 30-60mph took 12.4 seconds.

High-speed stability is every bit as good as we’ve come to expect from Jaguar Land Rover products. Travelling at 60mph feels like no test at all, and even when slowing from 70mph even the Al-Ko ATC sensors could hardly detect any movement.

In the lane-change test the stability control kicked in on the fastest run as the caravan got badly out of shape, but the Evoque stayed on course and pulled the caravan straight again.

So, our drivers were won over; but our practicality testers weren’t so sure. Two of the more awkwardly shaped items from our testing load of luggage wouldn’t fit in the boot, and the 13-pin electrics were tricky to access.

There’s also no getting away from the Evoque’s cost. With a price tag not far short of £50k, you can buy many much larger and more practical tow cars for similar money.

2019
Category Winners
2019 Up to 1400kg

Škoda Octavia

Hatch 1.5 TSI 150PS SE L DSG

2019 1400-1549kg

Seat Ateca

2.0 TSI 190PS FR DSG

2019 1550-1699kg

Volkswagen Arteon

2.0 TDI 150PS Elegance DSG

2019 1700-1899kg

BMW 520d

Touring xDrive M Sport

2019 1900kg+

Land Rover Discovery

3.0 SDV6 HSE

2019 Best Budget 4x4

Dacia Duster

1.5 dCi Ambiance 4x4

2019 Best Plug-In Hybrid

Land Rover Range Rover Sport

P400e HSE Dynamic

2019 Best Ultralight Tow Car

Seat Arona

1.0 TSI 115 FR

2019 Fuel Economy Award

Ford Focus Estate

1.5 EcoBlue 120PS Titanium X

Previous Winners
2018
1700-1899kg

BMW 520d

Touring xDrive M Sport

2017
1900kg+

Land Rover Discovery

3.0 Td6 HSE*

2016
1400-1549kg

Skoda Superb Hatch

2.0 TDI 150PS SE Business

2015
1400-1549kg

Volkswagen Passat Estate

2.0 TDI BMT 150PS SE Business DSG

2014
1400-1549kg

Nissan Qashqai

1.6 dCi (130PS) Stop/Start System Acenta Premium

2013
Up to 1424kg

Skoda Octavia

2.0 TDI CR 150PS Elegance

2012
1725–1899kg

Jaguar XF

2.2D Premium Luxury

2011
1425-1574kg

Volkswagen Passat Estate

2.0 TDI 170 Bluemotion Sport

2010
1900kg+

Land Rover Discovery 4

3.0 TDV6 XS

2009
1900kg+

Volvo XC60

D5 SE Geartronic

2008
1575-1724kg

Ford Mondeo Estate

2.0 TDCi Titanium auto

2007
1575-1724kg

Volkswagen Passat Estate

2.0 TDI Sport 4Motion

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