SEAT scooped the top award for the first time in the 24-year history of the Caravan Club's Towcar of the Year 2000 competition. The SEAT Toledo V5 beat off competition from more than 50 cars representing 23 manufacturers.

At the end of the three-day assessment period, the judges chose four price class winners - the Citroen Xsara 2.0-litre HDi SX, the Toledo V5, the Volkswagen Bora V5 and the Vauxhall Omega 3.0-litre MV6 Estate.

The judges then voted for the overall winner, by secret ballot, from the class winners and the Toledo V5 pulled away with the title.

Special category awards were also given for the highest scoring MPV (Multi-Purpose Vehicle) and All-Terrain vehicle.

This year's winners are the Renault Grand Espace V6 RXE and the Chevrolet Blazer 4.3 V6 respectively.

Caravan Club chairman Bob Black said: "It's very encouraging to see SEAT come to the fore in this prestige event, and it is rewarding to see manufacturers who have shown a long-term commitment to providing excellent towcars also doing so well.

"Our Towcar of the Year Competition keeps going from strength to strength and the club is greatly indebted to everyone who contributes to its success."

Cars were assessed on many aspects of their towing performance, including acceleration, traction, stability, braking and hill-starts, with points being awarded in each category.

In addition to driving assessments, the cars were also appraised for their 'caravanability', which equates to their user-friendliness and ability to accommodate the driver, plus family and typical caravanning holiday baggage.

Story date: Wednesday 27 October

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.