Best Buy: £16,000 to £20,000

Don’t judge the Fiat Doblo on looks alone, because while the boxy budget MPV isn’t the most stylish choice it makes a simply brilliant tow vehicle. It was one of the surprise packages of this year’s awards, outclassing some of its big-hitting rivals.

Its utilitarian interior is impressively comfortable, with plenty of headroom and a raised driving position. The huge tailgate opening provides superb access to the cavernous 790-litre boot – which expands to a van-like 3,200 litres if you fold the rear seats.

The large windows enhance visibility but also make the cabin light and airy, and Eleganza trim offers plenty of kit such as air-conditioning and alloy wheels. Plus, there’s Start&Stop technology to cut emissions and the option of an extra row of seats in the boot (£700).

For our test, the Doblo was hitched to a Bailey Olympus 462 caravan, and it coped admirably with the extra weight. The punchy 2.0-litre diesel didn’t disappoint and, with the aid of well spaced gearbox ratios and a smooth shift, the Doblo came out as an unexpectedly relaxing tow car in our acceleration trials.

Sitting at motorway speeds the van barely affected the Fiat and our model had no trouble pushing the needle past the legal limit. Its performance on the hill route was sure-footed and reassuring, while combined economy of 49.6mpg was excellent for a vehicle which provides this much interior space.

While it won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, the Doblo certainly makes sense as a tow car – and buyers put off by its quirky looks will be missing out on a talented and versatile machine.

£16 to £20k: Our finalists -

• Fiat Doblo 2.0 Multijet Eleganza
• Hyundai ix35 2.0 CRDi 4WD Style
• Mitsubishi ASX 3 1.8 DI-D 2WD
• Skoda Roomster Scout 1.6 TDI CR DPF