towing with a greenline II

[pauper]

Hello,

 

Just joined the forum, see "Hello" in the new members area for background.  On the skoda website, the greenline II is said to be able to tow 1000kg braked.  However, in the optional extra section, you can't order one with a towbar fitted.  I emailed skoda to ask them if it was due to some technical reason such as lower ground clearance.  Much to my surprise, someone actually bothered to phone me back to give me an answer. He said it's because the TUV type approval for the zero road tax band depends on the kerb weight of the car being precisely as standard, and if a towbar was fitted it might increase the weight and thus the CO2 emissions.  So I asked if that meant it was not possible to retro fit a towbar, and he said even if you could find a firm to supply one, you would not strictly speaking be allowed to fit it and still have the car in the zero tax band.  And it's not the same as having a fat passenger or a large load of shopping because you are changing the unladen weight of the car. 

 

I know you could argue that if you want to minimise your fuel consumption you shouldn't be towing anything, but we need to tow a trailer about once a month and would like to minimise our fuel consumption all the rest of the time!

 

Has anyone actually fitted a towbar to a greenline, and if so do they manage to sleep at night and live with their guilt?

 

 

[Ootohere]

Welcome to the Forum.

 

Does your Car have a Plate at the Bottom of the Drivers Door Pillar giving the Tow Limits Unbraked & Braked.?

 

If your car can not have a Towbar Fitted,

then Skoda best get their Website Sorted, because they might have people taking action against them.

Their Misleading Advertising & Information on Car Specifications has caught them out before.

Something as Important as Towing Capacity can be a major decider in peoples Vehicle Purchase.

You could Reject the Car, if Skoda Information or a Dealer told you the wrong thing, and the car then can not do what you bought it to do.

 

the vRS Hatch & Estate can not Tow, nothing to do with Emissions & VED, just because Skoda did not Submit Figures for it towing,

So no Approved Towbar for it.

But other Fabia Towbars can be fitted, just not Legally in the UK/EU for towing.

 

As to the Tax Band nonsence.

They test a car off the Production Line, Most Basic, why cars get no Spare Wheel as Standard, and tested without Options.

Then people dump the Tyre Repair Stuff and put a Spare Wheel & Jack in, Even When they do not offer as an Option,

maybe have Extras added. 

& the EU Test Weight was just a Joke.

 

Hopefully someone that knows Greenlines will be along with proper advice.

 

http://carleasingmadesimple.com/business-car-leasing/skoda/fabia-diesel-estate/48264/technical-data

The Spec, weights etc they use are from Official Manufacturers Information.