If you own one of the best small caravans, you don’t necessarily need an expensive or heavy car to tow it. Instead, the best small tow car can be perfectly formed for pulling your tourer.
We’ve set an upper kerbweight limit of 1500kg for this award. That’s high enough to include family-sized SUVs and small estate cars as well as hatchbacks. Ten years ago, most of the cars we’d have recommended would have been diesel powered. However, diesel power is increasingly rare among light cars. Of the five models on our shortlist at the Practical Caravan Awards 2025, four are petrols and one is a petrol-electric hybrid.
These days, the best small petrols and hybrid tow cars are so good that we don’t miss diesel power too much. You may need to rev the engine a little harder, but all the cars we’re recommending have enough power to pull a sensibly matched caravan.
The standout models in this class will combine performance, stability and practicality, always the hallmarks of the best caravan tow car. This, in turn, makes these lightweight tow cars ideal for towing a smaller tourer. Our winner this year is the Seat Ateca 1.5 TSI Evo 150PS SE Technology DSG – we like the stability it provides and also think it makes a fun solo drive.
The best small tow cars
Seat Ateca 1.5 TSI Evo 150PS SE Technology DSG
Ford Focus 1.0 mHEV 155PS Active X Estate
Hyundai Kona 1.6 T 138PS N-Line S
Skoda Kamiq 1.5 TSI SE L Edition
Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer GS 1.2 130PS Auto
The best small tow car (under 1500kg)
Seat Ateca 1.5 TSI Evo 150PS SE Technology DSG
- Price: £33,465
- Kerbweight: 1418kg
- 85% match figure: 1205kg
- Maximum towing weight: 1600kg
Reasons to buy:
- Excellent stability and a fun, engaging drive
Reasons to avoid:
- Dashboard starting to look a little dated now
The best small tow car (under 1500kg) at the Practical Caravan Awards 2025
If you are looking for a tow car that weighs less than 1500kg, you will struggle to buy better than the Seat Ateca.
Diesel power has been absent from the Ateca line-up for some time, but the 1.5 TSI is strong enough to pull a tourer, so long as you’ve been sensible when matching a car to a caravan. Turbocharging gives this petrol engine a strong mid-range, so you won’t feel that the engine is holding you back on hilly roads.
For a relatively small tow car, the Ateca’s stability is excellent. Firm and sporty suspension helps. Even if you feel the caravan tugging at the back of the car the Seat stays on course.
In solo driving, the Ateca is more fun than most alternatives. It’s grippy and agile. The suspension is less forgiving of bumps than some rivals, though, such as the Skoda Karoq.
Inside, the Seat has generous space for people and luggage. The dash and infotainment system are starting to look a little dated but ease of use is better than in many more recent designs.
Ford Focus 1.0 mHEV 155PS Active X Estate
- Price: £34,540
- Kerbweight: 1451kg
- 85% of kerbweight: 1233kg
- Maximum towing weight: 1500kg
Reasons to buy:
- Plenty of space for your luggage
Reasons to avoid:
- 4×4 styling isn’t particularly reflected in off-Tarmac performance
If you want an SUV for towing a caravan but need the luggage space of an estate, the Ford Focus Active could be just what you are looking for.
The Active rides a little higher than the regular Focus, and the styling has been toughened up to give estate-meets-4×4 vibes. In truth, the front-wheel-drive Active is barely any more capable beyond Tarmac than any other Focus, but it does look appealing.
What the 1.0-litre engine lacks in capacity, it makes up for with a surprising 155hp power output. It’s a lively performer in everyday driving and holds its own while towing a sensibly matched caravan.
Being 30mm further from the ground than other Focus models makes no difference to stability – at least none that we could feel. The Ford is secure at speed, with just the odd nudge from the caravan from time to time.
Inside, the Focus has decent passenger space and a large boot that should easily cope with holiday luggage.
Full review: Ford Focus 1.0 mHEV 155PS Active X Estate
Hyundai Kona 1.6 T 138PS N-Line S
- Price: £31,190
- Kerbweight: From 1435kg*
- 85% match figure: From 1220kg
- Maximum towing weight: 1310kg
*Including 75kg for the driver not included in Hyundai’s published kerbweight
Reasons to buy:
- Plenty of space and roomy in the rear seats
Reasons to avoid:
- You’ll need to be happy with a small petrol engine
Hyundai offers car buyers the choice of petrol, hybrid or electric power with the Kona. The electric model is approved to pull just 750kg and the hybrid’s maximum towing weight has recently been downgraded from 1300kg to 1010kg. So, even if you are towing a light caravan, you probably need the turbocharged 1.6-litre petrol.
This car makes a sensible match for small vans like the Bailey Discovery D4-2 and Swift Basecamp 4. The Kona tows such light caravans well. There may be a little pushing and shoving from the caravan, but not enough to have your palms sweating.
Inside, the Kona packs in lots of space considering the car is less than 4.4 metres long. It’s much roomier in the back than the previous generation Kona, something anyone trading in the older model will notice immediately.
There’s lots of luggage space, too. The capacity of 466 litres means that space for bags isn’t far off what you’ll find in some considerably larger cars.
Skoda Kamiq 1.5 TSI SE L Edition
- Price: £28,730
- Kerbweight: 1290kg
- 85% match figure: 1097kg
- Maximum towing weight: 1250kg
Reasons to buy:
- Well powered and stable on the road
Reasons to avoid:
- Driving position is fairly low, which might not suit everyone
The Kamiq is a small and light car, so it will only make a suitable match for a lightweight caravan. However, so long as your tourer isn’t too heavy, the Skoda makes a surprisingly able tow car.
The 1.5 TSI engine is used in many Volkswagen Group cars, including seven-seat SUVs. So, it has an easy time powering the featherweight Kamiq. Even with a small caravan like a Swift Basecamp 2 on tow, the Kamiq 1.5 gathers speed keenly.
It’s stable, too, with the only obvious weakness being a tendency to spin its wheels when making hill starts on damp roads.
From day to day, the Kamiq is easy to live with. The ride is comfortable, and the Skoda’s small size makes it simple to manoeuvre around town.
Interior space is excellent for such a small car, although the driving position is quite low for a crossover.
Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer GS 1.2 130PS Auto
- Price: £32,615
- Kerbweight: 1421kg
- 85% match figure: 1208kg
- Maximum towing weight: 1400kg**
**1200kg for non-factory towbar installation
Reasons to buy:
- Large boot, plenty of room in front seats
Reasons to avoid:
- Rear seats of some rivals offer more space
The Astra Sports Tourer is another of our favourite lightweight tow cars.
Despite a small 1.2-litre petrol engine, there’s enough get-up-and-go to handle a light caravan. Just keep in mind that the towing limit differs by 200kg depending on whether the car is fitted with towing gear at the factory or after the car has been built.
While not quite as stable as the Ford Focus or Seat Ateca, the Vauxhall shouldn’t give its driver any nervous moments while towing.
This is a very practical small tow car, with a huge boot that embarrasses many larger estate tow cars. It’s not quite as roomy as some in the back seats, though. Tall adults will feel a little hemmed in.
There’s plenty of room in the front, however, and the driving position is comfortable. The cabin design is quite staid, but some will prefer the Vauxhall’s conventional approach as the controls are intuitive.
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