I also finally got Skoda to put on a genuine towbar for me. After unrelated customer service issues I got the retractable towbar for £1,500 rather than the original £2,000 quote! Not great as like everyone else I already had paid for a third party towbar. I can also confirm the car now tows great, no issues with the cars stupid safety features and can reverse without it having a hissy fit. And as mentioned the button release is convenient.

I do wonder how long the dropping mechanism of the towbar will last before it starts to corrode and get stuck. Thinking about looking to make a plastic cover to fill in the gap in the under tray to at least stop most of the crud and salt getting to it.

Hey john. Thanks for that very comprehensive update. I was towing myself at the weekend and the passenger protective system fired off many times, which, apart from being potentially dangerous, really ****ed me off. If I was offered a skoda retractable towbar I would get it done in a moment. In fact I'm going to chance my arm with skoda and see how I get on. But for you....happy towing.