Passat Hybrid Gte Tow Car

It needs clarifying that many hybrids are not type approved for towing and often those that are, have reduced maximum towing weight. The Mitsubishi Outlander hybrid has a maximum tow weight of 1500kg. The now defunct diesel version is much higher and our local dealer recommended the diesel for towing. I still await a long term review of a like for like petrol/hybrid versus diesel towing comparison over a year and several thousand miles of mixed towing and solo use. The VW dealer I use for servicing admits off the record the hybrid golf barely manages 15-18 miles on battery in real world use. Most sales are to business simply to get the BIK benefits.

Lutz on this forum used to have a Lexus hybrid and I believe now tows with a diesel.......

I had an interesting time yesterday afternoon - visiting first Mitsubishi then Volvo, Kia, Lexus and Nissan.  The lack of knowledge and the fibbing was quite interesting!  Mitsubishi have a nearly new Outlander with 1200 miles on the clock and tow bar silly minus point for me is that it's black but why would anyone put a towbar on and then only go that distance?  I have enjoyed almost 3 years of towing with my top of the range diesel Outlander and as far as I can see diesel isn't yet defunct. 

Progressed to Volvo and felt very claustrophobic in the driving seat - the Outlander is nice and high for my old bones to get in and out off plus it has far more windscreen to see out of too.  Obviously personal choice there.  The Kia Sorento was good except the running board would take getting used to.  Lexus and the Sorento I think I should test drive and possibly the Xtrail but that might be under powered for my tastes too.  I had some confusing statements about Hybrids - "our hybrid is a false hybrid".  I think all of them stated the car could tow 2 ton and I gave up trying to explain that wasn't the point exactly! 

I am leaning heavily towards keeping my Outlander as long as the MOT goes OK and sadly it was registered a couple of months before they extended the warranty to 5 years from 3.  The nearly new Outlander was black and I have had a "thing" about the trend towards cars looking like hearses (very unfortunate and untrendy of me I know) and not a country lane friendly colour.  Plus I remember the enormous pleasure my mother had when she first had a choice of colour for her new car! 

Again thank you everyone who contributed it has been really helpful. 

Dear fellow caravaners just reading the blogs re Hybrid, I am awaiting the delivery Sept 2018 of a brand new Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, the 2019 model now has the new 2.4 petrol engine and trading in my 2015 Ford Kuga, I have been assured the car although the max all up towing weight is still 1500kgs is a reasonable towing vehicle. I would like to know if anyone has any other views on this, also in the brochure it says that the car can also provide 240v electrical power does this mean I could power the electrical internals to my caravan via a connection, again does anybody have or know of this. 

My wife and I go away most other weekends and have a few weeks away to further flung places a couple of weeks a year so realistically we use the car 85% of the time to go to work shop and ferry grandkids about so the hybrid will come into it own doing just this function.

As one previous blogger stated things are going to change and manufactures are not going to give 2 hoots about caravaners and supply vehicles powerful enough to tow but also fuel efficient for day to day motoring..

also in the brochure it says that the car can also provide 240v electrical power does this mean I could power the electrical internals to my caravan via a connection, again does anybody have or know of this.

Could you point that bit out in the brochure 'howdoo', I can't find it.

howdoo - I think I would urge caution - I have just been speaking to my local dealer - and they are offering me a demo vehicle complete with tow bar - true they may want to part with it - BUT I said what about me waiting for the New PHEV - "oh no that won't tow anything like as well".  I know they all lie - and this guy was in a slight muddle with his 80% rule.  Maybe he wanted to get rid of the demo car - but surely he would get more commission if I went for the new one?  I have a couple of hours to make up my mind as they have a big promotion weekend on from tomorrow.  Getting rid of excess stock perhaps?  However a decent deal on my slightly battered Outlander plus 3 free services on the demo vehicle makes a fair bit of sense to me!  Especially as my warranty is at an end and it's due the MOT. 

You do not have to have the side steps on any Kia 

But they do help when cleaning the roof

No they then drive on a petrol engine untill boat is able to have enough power to cut in again ,so poor mpg in petrol 

I would say the question we should ask is can the hybrid tow a caravan on it's existing petrol bit and how economically?  If it can tow on petrol economically and powerfully enough all well and good. However the information I have received recently has been that none of them Tow well on petrol.  Personally I would disregard the battery except for short journeys at home.  For me this could work out reasonably well as I have solar power - so free plug ins on a decent day?   But I would also need a reasonably good mpg and oomph when towing - and it seems this is not achievable at the moment.

It will run on petrol when towing and drink like a fish. nearly all if not all the engine kick in when doing over about 30mph.

I think you may find that hybrid vehicles can tow

however very few have been approved, Mitsubishi Outland has been but only too 1500 kg 

I would check v5

None of the bmw range have been tested