THE HOTTEST... FULL HYBRID TOW CARS

Shopping around for a hybrid vehicle? Here are five of our favourites

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NISSAN X-TRAIL E-POWER 213 E-40RCE TEKNA 5ST

Price £45,855 Kerbweight 1988kg 85% match 1690kg Towing limit 1800kg

The X-Trail is a hybrid of sorts, but not like the others here. Whereas most hybrids turn the wheels using both sources of power, the Nissan is only ever propelled by electricity. The 1.5-litre petrol engine is there to act as a generator.

It's an unusual arrangement, but works well when towing. The X-Trail is powerful and responsive. Although the engine can be noisy, it settles into the background once cruising.

One unintended upside of most hybrids for caravanners is that they tend to be heavy - having mechanical and electrical power and hefty batteries makes for high kerbweights. In this specification, the X-Trail weighs just under two tonnes, which contributes to secure and stable towing manners.

Towing capacity

The towing capacity varies, depending on whether you choose the five- (1800kg) or seven-seat (1650kg) model. The third row of seats is painfully cramped, so we'd save the extra cost and choose the five-seater. There's plenty of room up front and in the second row, and lots of storage around the cabin.

If you like the sound of that but not the price, we've seen a 17,000-mile 72-reg car priced at under £31,000.

TOWING WITH a fully electric vehicle comes with challenges. Switching from petrol or diesel to full hybrid is a much easier transition to make.

By 'full hybrid', we mean a car that uses an electric motor and an internal combustion engine to drive the wheels, but does not plug in to recharge.