SsangYong Korando

SsangYong has announced it is sponsoring The National, The Caravan Club’s premier event of the year. The six-day celebration is open to all and offers a wide range of activities for everyone. The event has been timed to coincide with The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and is being staged at Eastnor Castle in Hertfordshire, from the 1st to the 6th June.

One Korando crossover is up for grabs as a competition prize for members and there should be a range of other SsangYong 4X4s on show. Steve Gray, marketing and communications director of SsangYong Motor UK, commented “This is a perfect fit for SsangYong. All three of our cars, the new Korando crossover, Rexton 4X4 and Rodius MPV make great tow cars, and represent a real value for money proposition for caravanners. We are very pleased to be teaming up with The Caravan Club on what we hope will be the first of many opportunities to partner the caravan community”.

Further information on the event can be found at The Caravan Club website and we also have SsangYong contract hire on the site now.

CubeList

Nissan’s new urban superstar has now been given its very own website where you can explore every corner of the Cube which arrives in January 2010. The new site is a unique virtual club for Cube fans and prospective buyers.

To get your name on the CubeList you need to either have been given an access code or log onto the website and answer a series of questions about yourself and your way of life. CubeList members will also get the chance to test drive and customise the first Cube models when they arrive in the UK.

Volvo XC60

Volvo picked up the £25,000 to £32,000 price category at the Caravan Club Towcar of the Year Awards 2010, beating rivals from Isuzu, Skoda, Honda, Subaru and Toyota.

The Volvo XC60 D5 AWD SE was praised for its sure-footed handling, flexible power and all-wheel drive capability. Grenville Chamberlain of the Caravan Club said,”This vehicle has an extra powerful version of Volvo’s excellent five-cylilnder engine as well as AWD. Gear changes are smooth and speed builds up rapidly”.

The D5 delivers 205PS and comes with a choice of 6-speed manual or 5-speed Geartronic (auto) transmission and is also fitted with Trailer Stability Assist (STA) to counteract “trailer snaking”.

Golf SE

Volkswagen has won the top prize at The Caravan Club Towcar of the Year Awards 2010, claiming the £16,000 to £20,000 category as well as overall Caravan Club Towcar of the Year 2010.

The winning model was the Golf SE 2.0-litre TDI 140 PS which impressed the 10 judges with its strong performance when towing in a variety of different situations. Barry Williams, one of the judges said,”Absolutely faultless stability made the Golf steadfast on the test track and when the punchy engine had whisked its way to 60mph it was still ready to accelerate, even in sixth gear. Agile handling enables the car to tackle the most demanding route. The Volkswagen Golf SE 2.0-litre TDI 140 PS is a truly capable towing vehicles and a worthy winner”.

Mazda6 Estate

The second generation Mazda6 has won another award at the Caravan Club 2010 Towcar of the Year Awards in the £20,000 to £25,000 Class. The Judges said,”Towing 1,347kg, the good looking estate car romped up the long 14% hill in third gear and tackled a 17% stop-and -restart quite easily. A super car at a super price”.

The exact specification of the car that was tested is the Mazda6 2.2-litre Diesel Estate TS2 163ps Manual. Twenty-eight cars were put through their paces at the Millbrook Proving Ground and whether you are looking to tow a caravan, a horse box or a jet-ski trailer, the Mazda6 offers a great vehicle specification and could be for you, with 26 models in their line-up.

Kia Soul

The Kia Soul has won a class victory in the under £16,000, 2010 Caravan Club Towcar of the Year Awards. The entrants are tested at the Millbrook Proving Ground and the evaluations cover hill starts, acceleration, braking capability and towing ability. In addition, a team of caravan specialists then evaluate the cars in some suitability tests, in everday caravanning situations. 

The judges said, “The Kia Soul Shaker gives a spirited performance, has a usable bodyshape and promises low running costs. As a towcar for small caravans or trailer tents, Kia’s hatchback is a worthy winner”.The Kia Soul has a braked and unbraked towing capacities of 1,300 kg and 550 kg respectively, with a ball weight of 52kg.

Elise Club Racer

Lotus is launching a new model called the Elise Club Racer at the Frankfurt Motor Show later this month. The car is based on the 134bhp Elise S and introduces new and exclusive colour schemes, bespoked design interior and lightweight components.

This exciting new sports car uses four of the classic colour schemes used by Lotus in the 1960s (Elite Yellow, Carbon Grey, Sky Blue and Old English White) and has combined them with a new Club Racer interior design. The interior features an anthracite anodised gear knob and handbrake sleeve, the Club Racer (CR) logo hand embroidered on the seat headreats and aluminium flooring in the driver’s and passenger’s footwell.

The car reaches 0-62mph in 5.7 seconds, has a CO2 rating of 179g/km and a combined fuel consumption of 37.2mpg. Car leasing prices on the rest of the Lotus range are available off the site with this new model coming on shortly.