BLIZZARD conditions which brought chaos to the roads couldn't have come at a better time for Fiat and its new Panda 4x4.

Five inches of snow proved the point that this little car can handle the worst of conditions.

Its light weight, narrow tyres and all-wheel-drive make it one of the most capable vehicles in the worst of winter.

Motorways, airports and the rail network may have been grinding to a halt but the little Panda kept on going.

Make no doubt about it - the Panda 4x4 is a go-anywhere vehicle in the same league as bigger SUVs which can cost five times as much or more.

This is the third generation of Fiat's utility version of the Panda and it not only draws on 29 years of off-road experience but now leads the way in the safety, security and high technology fields for this class of car.

Fiat's Blue&Me multimedia system, electronic stability, a city brake control anti collision device, air conditioning and heated door mirrors feature either as standard or in the option equipment list.

Powered by either a TwinAir petrol engine or MultiJet diesel this mini SUV marvel is also rather frugal to run.

There are two versions in differing trims with prices kicking off at £12,450 rising to £14,950.

One is a world first concept called Trekking, the other the 4x4 badged as a segment leader.

The two wheel drive Trekking has the world's first traction control system on a car of this ilk that automatically transfers drive from slipping wheels to those with grip, allowing the driver to traverse ground that could otherwise defeat a normal two wheel drive vehicle.

In other words it offers safe traction on gravel, grass or mud similar to that of a 4x4 but at a much lower cost.

As such the Panda is a city car with the same sort of ability as an off-roader and Fiat has decided to dub it a CUV - City Utility Vehicle.

Fitted with the renowned and aptly named 'miniaturised masterpiece' diesel it also returns up to 74.3mpg on the combined cycle and has a CO2 rating of 109g/km.

The Trekking is therefore a very smart town car offering buyers extended rites of passage off-road that usually are the province of 4x4 owners.

However, the all-singing, all-dancing 4x4 version is the star of the show when winter comes a calling.

The diesel model I tried made easy work of the rural Warwickshire snow covered lanes, and was surprisingly agile over a specially designed off-road course.

It carries a price tag of £14,950 and with its CO2 rating of 125g/km and combined fuel return of 60.1mpg has to be worth every penny.

Some 3,686mm long and 1,605mm high this squarish styled car can swallow 225 litres of luggage and accommodate four or five passengers with space to spare.

Although the weather was constantly changing from poor to awful, this compact city hopper behaved superbly on the roads.

Bends, hills and open stretches were negotiated carefully, but efficiently, and whilst other dithered the little Panda was master of the elements. It was also nice inside with an airy cabin that was well lit by large windows, seating that was comfy and driving characteristics that were easy.

Its five speed manual box was smooth and its suspension offered a glide path rather than something which uncovered all the humps and bumps.

Steering, braking and overall cabin ambience all added to the long list of credits this small car offered.

I enjoyed the drive both on and off-road, in fact the blizzard conditions went a long, long way to convincing me that this latest incarnation of Panda whether with TractionPlus or full all wheel drive was the genuine article.

More to the point it proved to me that road hugging, field hugging and snow hugging is not the sole province of the big bulky 4x4s beloved by many but now also falls into the remit of the city car.

Fiat has clearly shown that a tiny vehicle can face bad conditions and poor road surfaces efficiently. At the moment the Panda 4x4 wears the crown when it comes to value for money all weather motoring.