THINK 4x4 and the mind's eye conjures up images of Land Rovers picking their way through a mountain pass or heavy duty Mitsubishi Shoguns sluicing along muddy tracks.

But the big bruisers aren't the only vehicles cutting the mustard in the harshest of conditions, and there are supermini-sized contenders getting a grip at a fraction of the price.

Among them are models like the cracking little Fiat Panda 4x4 and the smartly-dressed Suzuki Swift 4x4.

Point the Swift at a waterlogged field or slippery slope and the inclination is to give it a snowball in hell's chance of making it to the other side.

It's not as if there are any outward signs of toughness or durability. It coped though, with the minimum of fuss and without feeling under any real duress.

For families wanting to go a good bit beyond everyday conditions it's pretty much ideal.

The four-wheel drive is engaged permanently for extra grip and it uses a viscous coupling to send more power to the rear wheels as soon as a lack of traction is detected at the front.

It works effectively too - you don't need to flick any switches - in a vehicle that has six inches of ground clearance and sits almost an inch higher than a standard Swift model.

Beneath the bonnet is a 1.2-litre 4-cylinder petrol engine with five-speed manual transmission capable of returning an official average fuel figure of 51 miles per gallon.

Don't expect any fancy performance though, because the 0-62mph time is 13.4 seconds and it feels like longer. Emissions are 126g/km.

To be fair, once up to speed on the motorway the Swift fairly whizzes along and can certainly hold its own in the outside lane if need be.

As for styling there are skid plates to the front and rear for extra protection along with more pronounced wheel arches and side skirts. Otherwise it looks exactly like any other Swift model bar the Sport.

Inside there are a few brittle plastics, otherwise the cabin feels of good quality and the seats are well made.

Four adults can travel in relative comfort, room for legs being helped by the scooped out front seat-backs. And though there's a fifth seatbelt, even a child wouldn't realistically want to be stuck in the middle.

If you fancy the 4x4 it only comes in the higher spec SZ3 and SZ4 trim grades, which both include stuff like 16-inch alloys, air-con, Bluetooth, ESP and seven airbags.