As part of Toyota’s desire to engineer greater driving appeal into its cars, most current generation Toyota Hybrid models have the capacity to tow trailers and caravans. This might lead owners to wonder how about hybrid towing and how much their car is able to tow.
The regulations surrounding towing can be quite complicated to understand. So while this post is not designed to explain all the rules on this subject, we hope it clears some confusion by supplying straightforward answers to important, frequently asked questions.
Within this post we have also supplied relevant links to official government pages, related associations, and Toyota resources.
1) Hybrid towing – Which Toyota Hybrid models can tow?
The latest generation Yaris, Corolla, Toyota C-HR, RAV4 and Prius.
Moving upwards in towing ability, the latest Yaris has a towing capacity of 450kg. The Prius and Toyota C-HR share a recommended towing capacity of 725kg for both a braked or unbraked trailer. You can read more about this in our special feature on towing with a Prius. Meanwhile, all Corolla models – Hatchback, Touring Sports and Saloon – have an unbraked capacity of 450kg and a braked towing capacity of 750kg.
All RAV4 models have a legal towing capacity of 750kg for unbraked trailers. But with regard to braked trailers (where the trailer has its own braking system), the front-wheel drive RAV4 has a recommended towing capacity of 800kg and the all-wheel drive RAV4 has a 1,650kg capacity. Straddling the two is the new RAV4 Plug-in, which has a braked trailer maximum set at a 1,500kg.
For more information on how legal towing capacities are calculated, please see question four.
2) Hybrid towing – Can I tow with a Toyota Camry?
The current generation Camry has not been homologated to tow in the United Kingdom.
Some hybrid Camry models in other markets have been specially configured to tow light loads but these models are not available in the UK. Their cooling systems are different and the components cannot be retro-fitted to UK-spec cars.
3) Hybrid towing – What am I allowed to tow?
It depends on when you passed your driving test, the weight of your car and what you are towing.
You can get the latest rules and restrictions on the government services and information website.
4) What is my car legally allowed to tow?
The figure authorities use to enforce the maximum towing capacity of a vehicle can be found on the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) plate. This goes for all cars, not just those capable of hybrid towing.
Not all vehicles have been homologated to tow, but those that have will display either three or four sets of figures on the VIN plate. Reading from top to bottom, these will be the gross vehicle weight (the maximum mass of the vehicle including occupants, fuel and load), the gross vehicle train weight (the combined maximum mass of the vehicle and trailer) and the maximum loads across the front and rear axles respectively.
In order to create a recommended maximum towing capacity, vehicle manufacturers usually deduct the gross vehicle weight from the gross vehicle train weight.
For more advice on your specific Toyota model and hybrid towing, please follow this link to the My Toyota site where you download a copy of the owner’s manual for your car.
See more: Towing the line with the new Toyota Prius
Further information: National Trailer & Towing Association
Further information: AA guidance on towing
Hi,
Is it possible to fit a towbar to my New Corolla 1.8litre Hybrid to attach a towball mounted cycle carrier.
The carrier I want requires a minimum clearance of 40mm between the ball and any bodywork.
Hi John,
Thanks for getting in touch. It is possible to get a towbar fitted to your new Corolla, however to assess the suitability of the carrier you mentioned, we would recommend visiting your nearest Toyota Centre. They will be best equipped to check the carrier and the car and make any necessary recommendations. You can find your nearest Centre via this link: https://www.toyota.co.uk/forms/forms?tab=pane-dealer
Thanks.
I have just been into my local dealer to order a new Corolla 1.8 hybrid and have been told that fitting a towbar invalidates the warranty. Is this true? I have not ordered.
Hi CJ,
Thanks for getting in touch. Are you looking at a Corolla Hatchback, Touring Sports or Saloon?
Thanks.
Hello,
We have just bought a Prius 2005, VIN no JTDKB20U707049463 690 . We are hoping to find a way of transporting four bikes on the back of the car, and tow a small trailer for camping gear, but have just discovered that towing a trailer or even fitting a towbar may not be possible with this model. Please could you confirm if this is the case, and whether there are any other suitable options (e.g a roofrack with interchangeable roof box).
Many thanks in advance,
Jennie
Hi Jennifer,
Thanks for getting in touch and for your patience while we’ve checked this out for you. You are correct, your Prius doesn’t have any towing or roof weight capacity. This means from an accessory perspective, there isn’t any towbar or roof rack available for us to recommend.
Do get back in touch if you have any further questions.
Thanks.
Hi
I’ve just ordered a new Camry Excel and am currently waiting for delivery. Will it be homologated for towing and how mang KGs will it be able to tow please? My local towbar dealer has no towbars for this car yet and I see that only US spec. towbars are available at the moment; I certainly don’t want one of those here in the UK.
Many thanks in advance
Hi Adam,
Thanks for choosing Toyota.
Unfortunately, towing with the Camry Hybrid is not permitted. We expect this will be disappointing news considering you have already ordered the vehicle. We would always recommend throughly checking that a vehicle’s equipment and specification suit your needs.
Corolla, RAV4 and C-HR are the hybrids which can tow, with the RAV4 having the highest towing capacity.
Do let us know if we can assist further.
Thanks
Yes, I’m disappointed and would have been a deal breaker. If I had known before ordering I would have bought a different car. The Camry is a lovely car but the one that replaces it will need to be able to tow a dinghy, box trailer or trailer tent.
Just taken delivery of new C-HR ‘Orange’ with factory fitted towing hitch. The online picture shows 13 – 7 pin adaptors. Should they be supplied with hitch?
Hi Colin,
Thanks for getting in touch. At present we do not offer adaptors with the factory fitted tow bars, they are sold with either 7 or 13 pin hook up functionality only. Adaptors can be purchased from your nearest Toyota Centre and we would recommend contacting them directly to discuss this further. You can find your nearest dealer here: https://www.toyota.co.uk/forms/forms?tab=pane-dealer
Thanks.
I bought a new CHR Orange Edition in March, now tried to have a tow bar fitted for a cycle carrier, and been told by dealers that they cannot fit them to this car, but Colin appears to have had one fitted, I am confused!
Hi Chris,
Thanks for getting in touch.
Could you please provide us with your reg in order for us to look into this further for you?
Thanks.
Hi i got Toyota auris touring sport hybrid 2013.i like to fit tow bar for bike rack. Am i allowed to do it.
Hi Rashid,
Your vehicle has not been homologated to tow, so legally, we are unable to fit or recommend you fit a tow bar. You can fit a roof rack to carry bikes if you like. Your nearest Toyota centre would be happy to advise you on this.
Thanks
Hello I’ve got a 2013 reg prius plus and was looking for a bike rack of some sort for 4 bikes. What do you recommend??
Hi Faisal,
Thanks for getting in touch with us. We hope you’re still loving your Prius Plus!
We do not offer bike racks for the back of the Prius Plus as it has no towing capability, meaning that there is no tow hitch for this to attach to. Therefore, we would not recommend fitting a bike rack to the back of this model.
However, we do offer a roof bike rack for this model. This can be ordered and more details found at your local Toyota centre.
You can find your nearest dealer, here: https://www.toyota.co.uk/forms-v2/forms?tab=pane-dealer
Thanks.
Hi.. I have a 2020 1.8 hybrid touring sport. Can I fit a tow bar and pull a caravan? .cheers
Hi Dale,
Thanks for getting in touch.
Your Corolla Touring Sport can be fitted with a tow bar and has a towing capacity of 750kg (braked) and 450kg (unbraked).
Hope this helps.
Hi there,I have bought a 2014 2.4 petrol hybrid Toyota Toyota estima,can you supply a tow bar for same???
Hi John,
Thanks for getting in touch.
The Toyota Estima is not sold in the UK, so we would recommend contacting the Toyota distributor in your region for further help with your query.
Thanks.
Hello, can a Towbar be fitted to an Auris Hybrid Hatchback?
Hi James,
Thanks for your comment.
Could you please provide us with your reg? We will then be able to look into this further for you.
Thanks.
Hi I have a 2019 Prius and would like to attach a bike rack at the rear. Is it possible to have a tower and bike rack fitted? Many thanks
Hi Kirsten,
Thanks for getting in touch with us. We hope you’re loving your Prius!
Could you please provide us with your reg? We can then look into this further for you.
Thanks.
I am very confused regarding towing capacity of the RAV4 2020 hybrid – how can the 2WD version with same engine size and spec as other models only be able to tow 800kgs – one reason for getting this large suv was to tow a caravan – this is not therefore possible, how is that fit for purpose?
Hi David,
Thanks for your comment.
The 2WD RAV4 can tow up to 750KG braked and the AWD has a capacity of 1,650KG.
The latter is a much hardier powertrain, designed for the adventurers among us.
It also comes with trail mode, which is an automatic limited-slip differential control to ensure the best possible grip and control in challenging conditions.
Thanks.