Tow Car Awards 2025: Up to 1549kg
If you’re looking for a great tow car that will also be enjoyable to drive solo, you need one of our 2025 Tow Car Awards winners. Here we look at the best buy up to 1549kg...
Nissan Qashqai DiG-T MHEV 158 N-Connecta
Kerb weight 1422kg 85% match 1209kg Max towing weight 1650kg Towball limit 100kg
If you own a lightweight caravan or trailer, you’ll struggle to find a better car with which to pull it than the Nissan Qashqai.
Fitted with the more powerful of the two mild hybrid petrol engines available, the Qashqai showed a respectable turn of pace while towing its caravan. It took 12.2sec to get from 30-60mph, while a manual gearbox helped the driver to make the most of its performance.
At a steady 60mph, the Qashqai was firmly in control of the caravan. Pushing on to 70mph, our drivers noticed some slight movements, but nothing alarming.
The Qashqai was the pick of the lightweight cars in the emergency lane change test, remaining stable at all three speeds. It stopped in a shorter distance than any of its rivals in this class, too. Hill starts can be a struggle in modestly powered cars with a manual gearbox, but the Qashqai coped well with the one-in-six slope, as long as the driver was careful to balance the clutch and accelerator. It’s worth noting that a four-wheel-drive version of this car is available if you tow all year round.
Our practicality testers found a lot to like. With the adjustable boot floor lowered, there was space for a full load of holiday luggage, and the reversing camera was very useful when hitching up. A few points were lost for an awkward-to-reach breakaway point (where you attach the safety cable that automatically activates the caravan's brakes if it becomes detached on the move).
As a car to live with when it isn’t on towing duties, the Qashqai is smooth and quiet. The interior is finished to a high standard and there’s plenty of space. Wide-opening rear doors are a plus if you need to fit bulky child seats. N-Connecta is one up from the base specification and strikes a good balance between equipment and price. Wireless phone charging, a surround-view camera system and 18in alloy wheels are included in the price.
Running costs will be sensible, with official average fuel economy of 44.1mpg. Buyers also have the reassurance of a five-star safety rating.
Our ratings
Towing 4/5 Solo driving 4/5 Practicality 3/5 Buying and owning 4/5 Overall 4/5
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