Hot hatch that can be fitted with tow and legally tow 1500kg

Hot hatch that can be fitted with tow and legally tow 1500kg

Author
Discussion

jassihayre

Original Poster:

93 posts

185 months

Wednesday 22nd March 2017
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Hey Guys

Rather stupidly assumed all hot hatches were good for towing and bought a Clio 182 only to discover it can't. So looking for another hot hatch that can be fitted with a tow bar without having to be cut up and legally able to trailer at least 1500kg. Would prefer a manual petrol up to 4k?

Thx

otolith

56,011 posts

204 months

Wednesday 22nd March 2017
quotequote all
This may be useful;

http://www.parkers.co.uk/car-advice/2013/guide-to-...

Bottom line - there is no hot hatch I would be willing to tow 1500kg with, I'd be looking at a large saloon or 4x4 for that.

Slow

6,973 posts

137 months

Wednesday 22nd March 2017
quotequote all
otolith said:
This may be useful;

http://www.parkers.co.uk/car-advice/2013/guide-to-...

Bottom line - there is no hot hatch I would be willing to tow 1500kg with, I'd be looking at a large saloon or 4x4 for that.
A golf will tow 1400kg just from looking at that link. 1500kg isnt really that much when towing. The trailer I tow weighs over 1 ton alone - granted I am in a Range Rover but it happily tows it when laden at 3500kgs.

steve-5snwi

8,651 posts

93 months

Wednesday 22nd March 2017
quotequote all
Doesn't the 182 have centre exhausts ? Just out of curiosity where did you think think the towbar would go ?

But as above I'd be looking at something bigger, the focus st would be an obvious choice but that's not type approved for towing either.

kambites

67,543 posts

221 months

Wednesday 22nd March 2017
quotequote all
Not many hot hatches are approved for towing. The Octavia VRS is but not to 1500kg (I think it's 1400).

otolith

56,011 posts

204 months

Wednesday 22nd March 2017
quotequote all
Slow said:
A golf will tow 1400kg just from looking at that link. 1500kg isnt really that much when towing. The trailer I tow weighs over 1 ton alone - granted I am in a Range Rover but it happily tows it when laden at 3500kgs.
Yeah, a Golf, one of the lardier hot hatches, will tow 1400kg max, and he's looking for a hot hatch to tow 1500kg min... I'd be looking at something heavier.

culpz

4,882 posts

112 months

Wednesday 22nd March 2017
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IF you're insistent on a hot hatch to do towing duties for something that heavy, it needs to be something with not that much weight but with a large engine, preferably turbo, with alot of power and torque.

Seriously though, get something else which was made for that purpose alone. I've got a feeling you're after something that's the jack-of-all-trades but, in this instance, it's really not a good idea and won't work.

GreatGranny

9,123 posts

226 months

Wednesday 22nd March 2017
quotequote all
Slow said:
A golf will tow 1400kg just from looking at that link. 1500kg isnt really that much when towing. The trailer I tow weighs over 1 ton alone - granted I am in a Range Rover but it happily tows it when laden at 3500kgs.
1500kgs isn't a lot when you have a RR but OP wants a hothatch.

Looking on Parkers, something like a Civic 2.2i CDTi has a 1500kgs limit.
The 1.8i petrol has a 1400kgs limit.

The Golf TDi GT Sport has a 1500kgs limit
The 1.4TSi 170bhp has a 1400kg limit.

There's a pattern emerging.

Was going to suggest an Octavia VRS but that only has a 1400kg limit surprisingly.

jassihayre

Original Poster:

93 posts

185 months

Wednesday 22nd March 2017
quotequote all
Needs to be something small as the car and trailer need to fit on the drive. Basically going to be trailering a stripped out MX5 to trackdays.

The Clio has twin exit exhausts which are dead center like a Boxster. Getting a tow bar fitted isn't the issue its not approved for towing by Renault for some reason although a 1.2 is frown

HustleRussell

24,632 posts

160 months

Wednesday 22nd March 2017
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Can't imagine towing 1500kg with a tow car weighing less than 1100kg would be much fun anyway.

You need the lighest trailer which can take the MX-5, you might get it down to <1400kg. You'll still need a large hatch, saloon or upwards to tow it though.

My Caterham, spare wheels and trailer weigh in at 1000kg. I tow it with a 1600kg 5 series estate. I wouldn't like to use a much lighter tow car.

HappyMidget

6,788 posts

115 months

Wednesday 22nd March 2017
quotequote all
jassihayre said:
The Clio has twin exit exhausts which are dead center like a Boxster. Getting a tow bar fitted isn't the issue its not approved for towing by Renault for some reason although a 1.2 is frown
Type approval is prohibitively expensive for small volume car, hence why my VXR8 is not type approved to tow in this country.

caelite

4,274 posts

112 months

Wednesday 22nd March 2017
quotequote all
jassihayre said:
Needs to be something small as the car and trailer need to fit on the drive. Basically going to be trailering a stripped out MX5 to trackdays.

The Clio has twin exit exhausts which are dead center like a Boxster. Getting a tow bar fitted isn't the issue its not approved for towing by Renault for some reason although a 1.2 is frown
I know it is not exactly what you are looking for, but since you say your major constraint is size. Looked into a SWB 4x4? My old Shogun SWB towed a 1.8ton boat on a 800kg trailer comfortably with its 2.8ton towing cap, wasn't much longer than a big hatch, got a solid 28 to 30mpg which I doubt would be worse than your Clio. I picked that car up for £1900. £4k would buy you a very clean Shogun SWB with a 2.8ton towing cap, a very clean but old Daihatsu Fourtrak with a 3.5ton towing cap or a ropey but usable Defender 90 which, if you believe the legends, will comfortably tow 44tons up a 30degree muddy slope, but 3.5ton legally.

For an idea of sizes a Golf mk5 is 4.22m
A SWB Shogun... 4.22m
Fourtrak: 4.17m
Defender 90: 4.08m

They are fun to drive in a different but fun to drive, in a rather bouncy way, if you have never owned an agricultural 4x4 before it is a fun experience to pick one up, I never thought I would enjoy driving one until I ended up inadvertantly trading a car for one & you simply can't beat them for towing.

TiminYorkshire

513 posts

219 months

Thursday 23rd March 2017
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A 306 GTi-6 will tow 1200 kg braked.

I used to tow two motorbikes with mine (so probably ~500kg) and it was great.