There can’t be too many firms which actually relished the pre-Christmas freeze-up that saw much of the country grind to a halt. Apart from Land Rover, of course writes Peter Carroll.

Bad weather generally signals a boost in inquiries about the West Midlands firm’s vehicles – and having been lucky enough to be driving a Discovery 4 for much of the Arctic snap, I can see why. Frankly, the car proved a godsend.

Ironically, the fourth generation Discovery was launched just over a year ago with Land Rover looking to concentrate on the car’s much improved on-road performance.

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But with the region blanketed in snow it was the traditional Land Rover strengths of ruggedness and all-weather agility that came to the fore.

Despite not being fitted with winter tyres, the Disco proved remarkably sure-footed – even in the worst of the weather.

It only slithered uncomfortably once and that down to driver error caused by me booting it up an icy hill while turning at the same time. For the most part, it was a case of selecting Grass, Gravel, Snow from the Terrain Response rotary control unit and letting the car take care of the rest.

Some Land Rover drivers are content to leave their cars in standard 4×4 mode and never get to grips with what their vehicles can do when the going gets tough – but Terrain Response was designed to come into its own when confronted with a range of different surfaces.

It has settings for coping with wet grass, sand or mud, as well as a rock crawling mode.

The snow setting locks the rear differential to stop wheel spin and also retards the throttle for the same reason. The driver can monitor the status of the differentials on the screen in the centre of the dashboard.

All you have to do is take it easy on the road and leave plenty of room between yourself and the vehicle in front and you should be fine. Even if the snow is deep you always have the option of raising the air suspension.

Of course, there’s no setting, even on a Land Rover, which can cope with sheet ice. The best approach here is to slow right down and constantly monitor the state of the road for tell-tale flecks of ice.

If you have a manual you need to use as high a gear as possible; if the car is automatic you can accomplish this by switching to manual mode.

Anyone living on a steep slope and considering a Discovery may find they still need to fit snow chains to their tyres for that little bit extra traction in icy conditions.

The test car came through its bad weather test with flying colours and in fact proved itself the consumate family leisure vehicle. Spacious, practical, comfortable, it also offered a surprisingly refined driving experience.

Parking may prove an issue for some – even with cameras providing 360 degree coverage.

The Disco is a substantial beast – longer than a short wheelbase Transit van and only around a foot narrower. Light steering helps take some of the hassle out of manouevring but you’ll still to hunt for a larger parking space than normal.

The tailgate usefully splits but the load sill is always on the high side, unless you can be bothered to drop the suspension down.

Fuel economy, at around 25mpg, is reasonable for a car of this size but the lighter BMW X5 scores over the Land Rover when it comes to economy and emissions.

The supplied Discovery was a top-of-the-range HSE with all the toys, costing a fraction over £50,000 to put on the road.

The XS, which still has leather seats but costs £43,345, arguably offers better value. Alternatively, special edition Landmark Discovery models will arrive in showrooms this month in either white or black, with prices starting at £46,945.

Another bonus for Land Rover customers is the firm is taking care of the VAT rise until the end of March. The Discovery remains one of Land Rover’s flagship performers.

It has more space and capability than a Freelander 2 and is less of a status symbol than a Range Rover.

For a practical, family seven-seater that will go anywhere, whatever the weather, there’s nothing to touch it.