BRING on a cold winter snap with snow drifts and icy driving conditions and enter the perfect vehicle to tackle the challenge - Mercedes' mighty M-Class.

From the second you lay eyes on this beauty, you just know it won't be phased by a few inches of the white stuff and with beefy rugged lines complemented by side steps and roof rails, it really is the ideal vehicle to get you safely from A to B.

Okay, so you would have to find a spare £53,000-plus to buy the vehicle, but sometimes money really does buy quality and this is just such an occasion. And the level of technology and first class features on this vehicle is second to none.

Comfort levels are truly superb - I clocked up more than 400 miles in one day and still arrived refreshed thanks to the luxurious seats that can be heated and adjusted every which way to find the perfect driving position.

Elsewhere, the spec level is equally impressive with a 3D instrument cluster, dual-zone automatic climate control, Bluetooth technology, a reversing camera, an amazing multi-media system with 6.5-inch colour display, radio, hard drive, sat nav and voice control operations. And to be honest, the list goes on and on.

All occupants are treated to plenty of leg, head and elbow room and back seat passengers benefit from very large windows that allow the light to flood in, although they can maintain an element of mystery too thanks to the tinted privacy glass.

Storage facilities are excellent with a very generously-sized boot which is reached through the automatically opening and closing tailgate, a larger-than-life glove-box and plenty of other useful storage areas including cup holders that grip the side of your can or bottle to prevent any spillage.

So the M-Class has the looks and all the luxurious touches expected from a highly-priced vehicle, so what about the drive?

I mentioned earlier that the M-Class is perfect for winter weather and anything Mother Nature throws in its path and that's down to the permanent four-wheel-drive, huge wheels, and high-seated driving position which offers brilliant all-round visibility.

The vehicle managed to hold the surface with a good six inches of snow in its path while less able cars were slip sliding all over the place - and that is a true credit to the M-Class' ability.

The 3.0-litre engine delivered plenty of power and movement through the seven-speed automatic transmission was constantly smooth.

Additional safety specifications include hill starts assist, rain-sensing wipers, numerous airbags, anti-lock brakes, electronic stability programme, tyre pressure warning system and plenty more besides.