7. Suzuki Ignis
What if the £180,000 911 Dakar (above) is a bit too rich for your blood? Well, for one-tenth the price, you can pick yourself up a Suzuki Ignis, which while it won’t beat the 911 in a drag race does run it close for desirability and personality.
The cute-as-a-button Ignis is available with Suzuki’s surprisingly capable AllGrip four-wheel drive system, and its featherweight body skips across the snowdrifts rather than burrowing in. Fitted with winter tyres, we’d rather do a trip in the snow in an Ignis than many four-wheel drive SUVs.
It’s also surprisingly practical for a small car, and its tiny dimensions mean it’s a fantastic city car too. It’s also hyper-efficient, which is always a bonus.
8. Toyota Land Cruiser
The Toyota Land Cruiser is up there with the Land Rover Defender when it comes to iconic SUVs – and it’s just as capable, too. A beefy diesel engine, unstoppable off-road prowess and a sense of unshakeable solidity means you won’t find many more reassuring cars to drive through the snow.
Speaking of reassuring – the Land Cruiser can be had with Toyota’s ten-year ‘Relax’ warranty, which is a full seven years longer than Land Rover covers the Defender for. You’ll be able to see out a whole decade’s worth of winter driving in a Land Cruiser, though previous experience with Toyota’s legendary reliability suggests you probably won’t need to lean on that warranty at all.
9. Toyota GR Yaris
The GR Yaris may look a lot like the regular hybrid Toyota Yaris, but peer closer and you’ll notice that this three-door car is almost totally bespoke. It’s designed as a rally car first and foremost, featuring four-wheel drive and a hugely powerful 1.6-litre engine that gives it serious cross-country pace.
While the low ground clearance means you probably won’t be picking your way through deep snowdrifts, you may well instead find yourself with the tail out and a big grin on your face as you drive down a slippery B-road.
The truth is, the GR Yaris makes you feel like a racing driver even when you’re pottering about the city. It’s tremendous fun and fantastic to drive in all conditions.
10. Dacia Duster
Dacia’s budget SUV has always been a great way to get a surprising amount of off-road ability for the least amount of money. For less than £24,000 you can get hold of a proper four-wheel drive car, fitted with a sturdy 1.3-litre petrol engine and a manual gearbox for maximum simplicity.
The Duster’s hardwearing interior is made for the outward-bound life too, but has a few more creature comforts than previous models did. Gone are the days when a base-spec Dacia didn’t even have a radio – now you get air-con, remote locking and a touchscreen on even the lowest four-wheel drive Duster.
Best of all, it’s totally unpretentious and looks fabulous – chunky and rugged without being overblown. And should the worst happen, and you drift off a slippery road, you don’t need to panic that you’ve banged up a hundred grand car.
