THE HOTTEST... FRENCH TOW CARS

After a stable tow car with Gallic flair? Take a look at this French quintet

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FRENCH CAR MAKERS tend to do things a little differently. At their best, the designers and engineers create striking cars with distinctive engineering.

In recent decades, that flair has sometimes been hidden, but the big three – Citroën, Peugeot and Renault – are all building exciting cars again.

If you want an SUV, these car makers will oblige. But there are also models, such as the Peugeot 408, that seem to defy classification. There's also no shortage of hybrid, plug-in and fully electric models, although towing capacities are often on the fairly low side.

So if you want a tow car that's stable and stylish, test drive one of these five.

RENAULT RAFALE E-TECH PLUG-IN HYBRID TECHNO ESPRIT ALPINE

Price £45,695 Kerbweight 1789kg* 85% match Above max tow Towing limit 1500kg

The Rafale is Renault's take on the sporty SUV-coupé. Viewed from the side, it looks similar to the Peugeot 408, although the plug-in hybrid Renault is faster.

It has 300hp, so when the petrol engine and the electric motor are working together, there's plenty of muscle to cope with a sensibly matched caravan. The towing capacity of 1500kg is relatively low for such a heavy and powerful car, but it still leaves a wide choice of tourers to hitch up.

Sharp but light steering takes a little getting used to while you are towing – it's easy to steer more than you intend. Take the time to acclimatise and the Rafale proves stable.

Hill starts are easy with so much pulling power, and this version of the Rafale sends its power to all four wheels, which is a big plus in wet weather.

Economical to run

Fuel economy is very good, so long as you recharge the vehicle regularly. In official tests, the Rafale plug-in emits just 12g/km of carbon dioxide.

The Rafale is quite a recent addition to the market, so the only plug-in hybrids that we could find for sale were new cars in-stock with dealers.