This Land Rover Defender replaced the original model, which had been around since 1948. Unsurprisingly, 70 years of progress means the new model feels and looks completely different, which is no bad thing.

For a kickoff, the Defender no longer feels dangerous in corners: sure, it's not what you'd call athletic, but it’s composed and predictable. It also gets a much more sophisticated four-wheel-drive system that does all your thinking for you. You just select the terrain you’re tackling on the drive select controller – settings include Mud, Sand and Snow – and it does the rest. 

Inside, the new Defender has lots more technology, like an infotainment screen with nav, and it’s also a lot more spacious. Adults will fit in the back seat with ease, and the boot is larger and squarer.

The Suzuki Jimny might have gone off sale as a new car - although you can still buy it as a commercial vehicle - but its strong second-hand residual values are proof that those pesky emissions laws that sealed its fate killed it off well before its time. You can’t fail to be swayed by its Tonka-toy looks and unquestionable capability. 

Permanent four-wheel drive, tough suspension and a low-range gearbox mean there’s not much that doesn’t fall under the Jimny’s all-terrain remit, and snow is certainly well within its capabilities. On-road, its controls are light and you get an elevated view of the road.

Inside, the little Jimny has a back-to-basics but charming feel. Large grab handles hint at its off-roading credentials, and you get cool circular air vents and a centre display. The back seat is tight for passengers, but it folds neatly away to give you a large square load space.

Ssangyong may have rebranded itself to become KGM these days, but the Rexton is still here, and it's still a large, tough off-roader for an affordable price. It’s ideal if you want serious off-road ability and lots of space, and aren’t interested in paying over the odds for a fancy badge. 

Saying that, the Rexton borrows many of its parts – including its seven-speed automatic gearbox – from Mercedes, so you can expect it to be rugged. The car’s raised ride height, permanent four-wheel drive and locking differentials mean it’ll take more than a bit of snow to stop the Rexton in its tracks.

Inside, the Rexton hides its reasonable price very well. It comes packed full of standard kit and feels robust. There is loads of room for four, the boot is massive and there’s the option to spec a third row of seats, which will be handy if you ever need to give your children’s friends a lift. It's also ideal for towing.

The Subaru Forester is arguably one of the main reasons for Subaru's reputation for ruggedness. There's none of this wishy-washy four-wheel-drive-on-demand nonsense that you get in some so-called off-roaders. In the Forester, all four wheels are driven all of the time, and that helps make it hugely capable in challenging conditions.

The Forester also has higher ground clearance than most of Subaru's other models, along with off-roading modes to cope even better with slippery surfaces. There's plenty of torque provided by the e-Boxer self-charging hybrid system, too.

The Forester is roomy and practical, too, with plenty of passenger space and a big boot. It's not the most polished car to drive on the road, but off it, it'll take some stopping.

Off-roaders don’t come much tougher than the G-Class. On the outside, it might look almost identical to the original model that went on sale in 1979, but this is very much a new car equipped with all the latest tech, and it feels far more civilised to drive.

It’s still a very tough off-roader with a solid construction, low-range gearbox, lockable differentials and towering ground clearance. You could use the G-Class to cross continents as the crow flies, so needless to say, snow isn’t going to stop it.

The G-Class’s doors were engineered to close with the same reassuring thunk as the old model’s, but that’s about where the similarities end. It’s more spacious inside and comes with luxuries like a digital dashboard and air-conditioned massage seats. 

In truth, many of Audi's models come with the company's famous Quattro four-wheel drive system, and any number of them could have figured here, but we've gone for the Audi Q5 purely because it's one of the best all-rounders.

That's thanks to big strengths in numerous areas. It's comfortable and civilised to drive when the road isn't covered in snow, as well as being capable when it is. The interior is roomy enough for a family with gangle teenage kids, and the car has good enough build quality that you could be fooled into thinking you were sitting in one of Audi's bigger, more expensive cars. The posh, aspirational image only makes it even more appealing.

It's no longer on sale as a new car, but the Volvo V90 Cross Country is well worth seeking out on the used car market, and for a variety of reasons. Firstly, and most importantly for the purposes of this article, it has a raised ride height compared with the regular V90 estate for improved ground clearance, plus four-wheel drive that'll help keep you rolling in the white stuff.

However, the other benefit of the raised suspension is that the Cross Country rides even more comfortably than the regular V90 the rest of the time: this really is one plush-feeling car. It’s particularly great on the motorway, but it's also relaxing and easy to drive in town, and neat and tidy in corners. 

Inside, the V90 Cross Country looks the business thanks to its bare wood trims and its seats are some of the most comfortable you’ll ever sit in. There’s loads of room for four adults and the boot's large and easy to load.

You don’t need to spend the big bucks on a hulking great SUV to get yourself a car that’ll be happy in snow and ice, as the Suzuki Ignis' place on this list proves. 

It's not just the chunky, upright styling that makes this teeny city car-sized runabout reminiscent of an SUV: there's also the fact that it can be specified with four-wheel drive. And the car is more capable in the slippery stuff than you might think, too.

It's a cheerful little thing to drive, too, with a willing engine and eager handling. There's space for four in the passenger compartment despite the car's tiny size, while it also comes well equipped. It's affordable to buy, meanwhile, while running costs are also exceptionally low.

There’s a saying in Australian off-roading circles: “You drive a Land Rover if you want to get into the bush and a Toyota Land Cruiser if you want to get back out again”. That's a subtle nod towards Toyota's excellent reliability record, as well as the Land Cruiser's epic off-roading ability.

If it can handle the bush, needless to say, the Land Cruiser won’t have a problem tackling a couple of inches of snow. It’s got everything you need including four-wheel drive, a low-range gearbox, great ground clearance and locking differentials. 

It feels like an old school SUV from the inside, too. You get a towering view out and the interior feels bulletproof. There’s loads of space in the front and the back plus a pair of occasional seats that fold out from the boot. A new version is due to arrive shortly, but we haven't had a go in it yet, so for now, we'll still recommend the older version.

If you want a roughty-toughty off-roader then the Jeep Wrangler is the car for you. It harks back to the original WW2 Willys Jeep with its slotted grille and circular lights and, just like the old car, you can remove the roof and the doors for wind-all-over motoring.

If you want to stay warm, you'd best keep them on in winter, when you’ll find that the Jeep is pretty much unstoppable. It has permanent four-wheel drive, locking diffs, a low range gearbox, huge ground clearance and is available from the factory with knobbly tyres. Its turbocharged petrol engine means it even feels quite quick. 

Inside, the Jeep’s flat-faced dashboard looks like it's from another era but it gets all the latest tech including an infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It has space inside for four adults and their luggage, and its easy to keep clean because drain plugs in the floor mean you can hose it out.