• Two awards for electrified Volvos in the UK’s longest-standing towcar competition
• XC40 Recharge pure electric AWD compact SUV wins the 1500-1700kg caravan weight category
• V60 Recharge plug-in hybrid T6 AWD estate is named ‘best plug-in hybrid vehicle’
Volvo has continued its run of success in the annual Caravan and Motorhome Club Towcar of the Year competition, with its electrified models coming to the fore to take two awards in the 2022 contest.
The XC40 Recharge pure electric all-wheel-drive compact SUV was the winner in the 1500-1700kg caravan category, while the V60 Recharge T6 AWD estate was named the best plug-in hybrid vehicle.
Their success reaffirms how Volvo’s electrified technologies – both plug-in hybrid and pure electric – maintain the company’s long-established reputation for exceptional towcars. Their capabilities were put through rigorous track testing by the competition judges at the Millbrook Proving Ground, near Bedford, with further assessment of their ‘caravanability’ – having accessible load space large enough to carry all the accessories required for caravan towing.
Nick Lomas, Director General of the Caravan and Motorhome Club, said: “We’ve been receiving an increasing number of enquiries about the technicalities and practicalities of towing with hybrid and electric vehicles, so it’s fantastic to see a boom in competition entrants and winners in these categories.”
The judges acclaimed the XC40 Recharge as “a super-impressive pure battery electric SUV that combines stunning performance with precision low-speed manoeuvrability” and “outrageously good, a complete thrill to drive”. Further praise was given to its “flawless” hill-start performance.
The V60 Recharge plug-in hybrid T6 AWD was commended as “another outstanding towcar from Volvo”. The judges added: “Performance is significantly enhanced by the car’s hybrid boost, and the ride and handling are up with the best in the class – all backed up with the reassurance and sure-footedness of all-wheel drive.”
Matt Galvin, Volvo Car UK’s Commercial Operations Director, said: “These successes are a validation of the all-round quality and performance of our electrified car technologies. With both our Recharge pure electric and plug-in hybrid models emerging as winners, we can show that our commitment to electrification doesn’t call for any compromise from our customers, in particular when it comes to strong, reliable and comfortable towing performance.”
Volvo has enjoyed consistent success in the Caravan and Motorhome Club Towcar of the Year competition, notably with the XC60 and XC40 SUVs winning back-to-back Towcar of the Year titles in the 2019 and 2020 competition respectively.
For more information on the XC40 and V60, and to use the online configurator, please go to www.volvocars.co.uk.
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Volvo Car Group in 2020
For the 2020 financial year, Volvo Car Group recorded an operating profit of 8.5 BSEK (14.3 BSEK in 2019). Revenue over the period amounted to 262.8 BSEK (274.1 BSEK). For the full year of 2020, global sales reached 661,713 cars (705,452), a decline of 6.2 per cent compared to 2019.
About Volvo Car Group
Volvo Cars was founded in 1927. Today, it is one of the most well-known and respected car brands in the world, with sales of 661,713 cars in 2020 in about 100 countries. Volvo Cars has been under the ownership of the Zhejiang Geely Holding since 2010.
As of December 2020, Volvo Cars employed approximately 40,000 (41,500) full-time employees. Volvo Cars’ head office, product development, marketing and administration functions are mainly located in Gothenburg, Sweden. Volvo Cars’ head office for APAC is located in Shanghai. The company’s main car production plants are located in Gothenburg (Sweden), Ghent (Belgium), South Carolina (US), Chengdu and Daqing (China).
Under its new company purpose, Volvo Cars aims to provide customers with the Freedom to Move in a personal, sustainable and safe way. This purpose is reflected in a number of business ambitions: for example, by the middle of this decade it aims for half of its global sales to be fully electric cars and to establish five million direct consumer relationships. Volvo Cars is also committed to an ongoing reduction of its carbon footprint, with the ambition to be a climate-neutral company by 2040.
