SUBARU'S new Forester sports utility has been voted Towcar of the Year by The Caravan Club, despite fierce competition from 52 other cars - the largest number of entrants in the competition’s 21-year history.

The turbo-charged Forester 2.0 XT - which also scored a category win in the Compact 4x4 class - beat off challenges from such diverse cars as the new VW Touareg V10 TDI, BMW 330d Sport Touring and Mercedes-Benz E270 CDI Elegance.

Launched in the UK last October, the new Forester has helped increase Subaru sales by almost 20 per cent so far this year and boasts several features ideal for anyone wishing to tow.

Caravan Club magazine editor and one of the judges, Barry Williams, said: “Great all-round performance from the Forester. Turbo-charging pushes up the power and torque to provide fast pulling power and Subaru’s unique combination of flat-four engine and four-wheel drive aid stability and surefootedness.

“Another feature unique to Subaru is the ‘hill-holder’ clutch - a real boon for caravanners. The latest version has a nicer cabin than before.”

All Towcar of the Year entrants are put through three gruelling days of evaluation by towing experts at the Millbrook Proving Ground in Bedfordshire. The six driving judges assessed towing performance with points awarded for traction, stability, braking, acceleration and hill-starts. The cars were also tested for space, versatility and comfort.

The Subaru Forester range starts at £16,445 on-the-road for the 2.0 X which has a braked towing limit of 1,500 kg. The turbo-charged XT range starts at £20,995 OTR and has a braked towing limit of 1,800 kg as a manual and 1,950 kg in automatic form.