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Pulling power: Skoda Kodiaq named Tow Car of the Year 2025

Skoda Kodiaq - Tow Car of the Year 2025

The latest Skoda Kodiaq is now officially the best in the business for towing, according to What Car? and The Camping and Caravanning Club.

The second-generation of the Czech SUV, launched in 2024, (tested in 2.0 TDI 193PS SportLine DSG 4×4 form) topped the ‘1,700-1,999kg’ category, scoring higher than any of its 35 rivals to drive off with the overall crown of Tow Car of the Year award.

Skoda has now won eight overall Tow Car of the Year titles, and recorded 36 category wins – making it one of the most successful marques in the history of the awards.

The judging panel, comprised of car and towing experts from What Car? and the Camping and Caravan Club, conducted a series of tests at the Horiba-MIRA proving ground in Warwickshire with a range of caravans.

Trials included an emergency lane-change, 30-60mph acceleration, 30-0mph braking, and a hill start on a 1-in-6 slope. All test vehicles were also rated for their towing suitability, with boot space and trailer stability systems also taken into account.

“As always, we look for cars that can be enjoyed every day as well as while towing,” said What Car? Editor Steve Huntingford.

“As a daily driver the Kodiaq strikes a near ideal ride and handling balance. Keen drivers can enjoy themselves, but the car is comfortable for passengers. There’s enough space for seven to come along for the ride, and the driving position is spot on.

“The Kodiaq ticks all the right boxes while towing. It’s very stable at the legal limit, and the engine has enough poke for nipping past dawdling traffic.”

Skoda Elroq ev tow car

The Kodiaq wasn’t the only Škoda model recognised by the What Car? and Camping and Caravan Club judges. The new Elroq, launched earlier this year, took its first tow car award by winning the ‘Electric car up to 1200kg’ category.

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Hot Wheels Legends Tour 2025: Hunt for new vehicle to reimagine as a die-cast model

Gareth Herincx

15 mins ago
Auto News

UK petrolheads have their chance to make their mark on global car culture as the Hot Wheels Legends Tour returns for 2025.

Now in its eighth year globally and fifth year in the UK, classic car modifiers and restorers, race car builders, JDM tuners, alongside truck and custom car constructors can now enter the competition for the chance to have their vehicle reimagined as a 1:64 scale die-cast model and become inducted into the revered Hot Wheels Garage of Legends.

New for 2025, the UK winner will also be flown to El Segundo, California, to experience the last stop of the US Hot Wheels Legends Tour.

Judged by Hot Wheels designer Craig Callum, YouTuber Mat Armstrong and presenter Nicola Hume and in partnership with Smyths Toys Superstores, Forge Motorsport and Collecting Cars, Hot Wheels will seek out entries that embody authenticity, creativity and the unmistakable ‘garage spirit’.

Vehicles of all shapes, sizes and ages are eligible, including restomods, racing cars, custom classics, drag racers, off-roaders and trucks. Entry is simple and quick. Just upload three images and a short description at hotwheelshuklegendstour.co.uk required.

Hot Wheels facts

Founded in 1968, Hot Wheels is the number one selling toy worldwide with over 16 cars sold every second
Hot Wheels continues to be a key influence on car culture, inspiring full-scale designers, car builders and tuners
Hot Wheels is all about the challenger spirit – its founder Elliot Handler embodied that spirit when he founded Hot Wheels
Hot Wheels’ original design team included a car designer and a rocket scientist. They had a brief to create a toy car that was cooler and performed better than the competition
The inaugural set was called ‘Sweet 16’ and today is highly coveted. It featured a mix of custom cars and ‘rods
To date, over eight billion have been sold
The most valuable Hot Wheels car is said to be the ‘Beach Bomb’ VW bus in pink. Never released to the public, its value has been estimated at $150,000.
In 2025 Hot Wheels announced collaborations with both Formula One and Ferrari
Hot Wheels is the leading die-cast brand in the UK, available at Smyths Toys, The Entertainer, Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and independent toy shops

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Five motoring maintenance tips to ensure a smooth Easter getaway

With Easter and spring-time staycations on the horizon, it’s easy to get distracted by packing and forget the importance of checking your vehicle and its tyres ahead of a long journey.

We’ve teamed up with the experts at leading mid-range tyre brand, Davanti Tyres, to recommended these five maintenance checks to carry out before you set off on your road trip.

1. Check your tyre pressure and unusual wear and tear

It is recommended that you check your tyre pressures once a month as standard, so if you haven’t checked in the weeks before your trip, take the time to do so now.

Tyres can quickly become deflated if they aren’t checked regularly, and this can result in excessive and uneven wearing of the tread. Additionally, any visible perforation, cut or deformation has the potential to render the tyre unsafe to use so they must be checked thoroughly by a tyre professional if you find something unusual.

2. Make sure there is enough tread

This improves your grip, the vehicle’s handling, and – ultimately – your safety. The 20p test is a simple, quick, and easy way of checking the tyre tread of your car’s wheels. Just take a 20p coin and insert it into the tread grooves on the tyre. If you can’t see the outer band on the coin, your tyres are above the legal limit.

3. Don’t overload your car

We’re all guilty of overpacking, but remember, your vehicle’s tyres are doing the hard work of supporting the total weight of the vehicle and withstanding deformations, speed, and heat, so be mindful of how much you’re taking with you.

If you do need to carry a heavier load than normal, adjust the tyre pressure accordingly, which can be found in the car’s documentation.

4. Light up your holiday

Before you set off, do a quick check of all the lights on your vehicle. For example, turn on your headlights when you’re parked in front of a flat surface and check that both headlights are working properly and well-positioned, as well as checking indicator and parking lights.

5. Engine oil

The oil in your vehicle’s engine serves a whole slew of functions: it lubricates the moving parts, helps act as a sealant against debris, cools the engine, reduces wear and tear, and helps prevent engine corrosion.

It’s well worth taking that extra 10 minutes to ensure your oil level is at the right level ready for your road trip.

As Peter Cross – General Manager, Davanti Tyres – says: “Regular car maintenance and tyre checks are important. If you ensure any small issues are resolved quickly, it stops a small issue becoming a bigger problem and putting a dampener on any staycations.”

Motorists paying more than £600 a year on unexpected car repairs

Almost six in 10 drivers say they are hit with surprise repair costs for their car every year, typically forking out £617.

More than a third (37%) of those facing these repairs said they experienced financial difficulty in paying for them.

Tyres top the list of unexpected motoring costs (64%), followed by brake repairs on 24%.

A further fifth (21%) were seemingly victims of Britain’s poor road surfaces as they had to pay out for new suspension parts such as shock absorbers and springs. For cars between three and 10 years old, this figure was dramatically higher at 30%.

The next most common unexpected costs were getting new exterior lights fitted (15%), repairing bodywork damage such as dents and scrapes (14%) and having to replace faulty or worn-out 12-volt batteries.

“Unexpected car repairs are something every driver dreads,” said Paul Coward, chief executive of the RAC’s service, maintenance and repair division.

“This is even more the case for the estimated third of drivers who find it hard to cover these costs.

“What’s more, we know from long-term RAC research that eight-in-10 people depend on their cars, so any time a vehicle is off the road it can cause huge problems.

“Our patrols are experts at coming to drivers’ rescue when things go wrong, but not even they can fix every car.

“Now, with our growing nationwide team of RAC Mobile Mechanics we can get a wide number of repairs done at homes and workplaces.

“An RAC patrol simply tows a broken-down vehicle to the member’s home, then books a convenient time and date for a mobile mechanic colleague to carry out the necessary repair.

“This saves the time and effort of finding a garage that can do the repair quickly, taking away the hassle of getting to and from the garage. Helpfully, customers are also able to spread the cost of the repair over three payments by using Klarna.”

Ultimately, a well-maintained vehicle is far less likely to break down and result in costly unexpected repairs.

Regular servicing is key, as well as ensuring any advisories in the MOT are addressed before they become illegal or go wrong.

Kia EV3 crowned UK Car of the Year 2025

Gareth Herincx

53 mins ago
Auto News

Kia has pulled off the double by winning the UK Car of the Year Awards two years in a row.

Following on from the Kia EV9’s triumph in 2024, the EV3 has been named overall victor in 2025. It’s also the fourth year in succession that the top prize has gone to an electric vehicle.

The EV3 won its Small Crossover category and then beat the winners of the six other categories.

As a member of the UKCOTY jury, I played a small part in picking Britain’s best cars of 2025, and I’d like to congratulate all the winners.

Paul Philpott of Kia UK (left) with UKCOTY's John Challen — *Paul Philpott of Kia UK (left) with UKCOTY’s John Challen*

“Securing back-to-back successes in this competition has only been achieved once before, which shows the outstanding attributes and appeal of the Kia EV3,” said John Challen, co-chairman, UK Car of the Year Awards.

“Kia has successfully grown its EV portfolio and the specification, driving range, and distinctive styling are all EV3 elements that impressed our panel of experts.”

Receiving the winner’s trophy, Paul Philpott, president and CEO, Kia UK, said: “We’re delighted to once again be victorious winning the outright UK Car of the Year Award with EV3. This follows our success in 2024 with EV9.

“These consecutive awards clearly demonstrate Kia’s strong leadership in electrification, the genuine demand from UK customers, and the quality of our product line up.”

UK Car of the Year Awards 2025 category winners:

Small Car – Suzuki Swift
Family Car – Skoda Superb
Small Crossover – Kia EV3
Medium Crossover – MINI Countryman
Large Crossover – Hyundai Santa Fe
Executive Car – Polestar 4
Performance Car – Hyundai Ioniq 5 N

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