This is only the second year since the Tow Car Awards started in 2007 that the VW Golf hasn’t won the lightest weight class. The new Mk7 model runs the class-winning Skoda Octavia very close, though.

Judged purely on towing, some judges put the VW just ahead of the Skoda. Sophisticated multi-link rear suspension gives the Golf a more supple ride with a caravan in tow, while the DSG transmission made short work of hill starts, with no need to juggle throttle and clutch for a smooth getaway. The electronic parking brake may be a love-hate feature, but we found that it held car and caravan still on a 1-in-6 slope and released smoothly. Even in strong crosswinds there was little movement at the motorway limit and beyond, and the Golf coped well with the rigours of our lane-change manoeuvre.

The cabin may not match the Octavia’s for space, but the standard of its fit and finish is a notch above.

You’ll pay more for the Golf than you will for the Octavia, even allowing for the cost of the DSG transmission (which is also available on the Skoda), and the VW isn’t such good value. However, impressive economy and excellent resale values mean the new Golf is less expensive in the long run than it first appears.