OH the weather outside is frightful, but the Suzuki Grand Vitara is so delightful.
Apologies to Messrs Monroe, Cahn and Styne for paraphrasing their legendary song 'Let It Snow', but the week I spent with the Grand Vitara coincided with a torrent of the white stuff falling from the heavens.
Blizzards, freezing temperatures and black ice were all thrown at Suzuki's big 4x4 putting the beast well and truly through its paces.
Suzuki's star was more than up to the test giving a confident performance I didn't entirely expect from a motor that I had always associated more with style than substance.
Climb into the cabin and the first impression is of how well set out everything is.
There are classy controls for the air conditioning and fan which make short work of ice and snow on the windows. The door mirrors are also defrosted in a flash by a heater.
An 'easy grip' steering wheel is tilt adjustable and incorporates fingertip switches for lights, indicators, front and rear windscreen washers, wipers and the mode and volume of the radio and CD player. The latter is integrated at the top of the front centre console and has large, simple to use controls, all within easy reach of both the driver and front seat passenger.
The Grand Vitara's gear box is a clever contraption offering a four-wheel drive system that ensures the grip normally associated with a gymnast on the asymmetric bars. At speeds up to 62mph the driver can move between two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive as conditions dictate.
When in four-wheel drive two gear ratio ranges are provided - 'high' for smooth slippery surfaces and 'low' for treacherous, punishing off-road terrain. So even if I had slid off the carriageway there would have been little trouble extricating myself - providing no lamp-posts or large buildings had been in the way of my departure.
Thus the Grand Vitara imparts confidence to the driver and that's without taking into account its excellent driving position that gives a panoramic view of the road.
The exterior of the car is as you'd expect from a Suzuki 4x4 with a youthful feel appealing to those with the beach on their mind. The real place for any Suzuki off-roader is on holiday as it's perfectly designed to capture that 'school's out for summer' mentality.
However, the interior is strictly for the 'school's in for winter' crowd as there's ample room for the kids, their classmates and most of the teachers.
The front two passengers have plenty of leg and headroom while the kids announced themselves more than satisfied with space in the rear three seats - although three adults in the back would be a bit tight.
To ensure that all the XL7's extra interior space is easily accessible, the rear doors are exceptionally wide, as much as 203mm - eight inches in old money - wider at the base and 305mm - 12 inches - wider at the top, when compared with other makes.
The boot is square-shaped giving decent access for shopping and luggage and there are lots of cabin cubby-holes. The side-hinged rear door means nose-in parking is a must to ensure unhindered boot access.
The Grand Vitara comes with Suzuki's three-year, 60,000-mile warranty and the added benefit of breakdown cover for three years. Running costs are fairly low with the frugal diesel delivering average fuel economy of 35.3 miles per gallon - not bad for a car of this size.
It is also solidly built - easily earning number one spot for quality in the Suzuki range. Safety measures are extensive with anti-lock brakes and airbags for driver and front passenger all fitted as standard.
At a shade under £18,000 the Grand Vitara is a quality option at a decent price in a popular sector of the market.
FAST FACTS
Suzuki Grand Vitara 2.0 TD XL-7 5 seat
Price: £17,999
Mechanical: 108bhp, 1,997cc, 4cyl diesel engine driving all four wheels via 5spd manual gearbox
Max speed: 96mph
0-62mph: 15.2 secs
Combined mpg: 35.3
Insurance group: 13
CO2 emissions: 216g/km
BiK rating: 33%
Warranty: 3yrs/ 60,000 miles; 6yrs anti-rust; 6yrs paint