Summer’s gone. Autumn’s here. And before long you’ll be digging your car out the drive. Cheery thoughts, I know, but recent testing winters have made more and more people look at 4x4s.

Not the huge Chelsea Tractors we see in huge numbers in the more salubrious parts of our district, not a heavy duty farmer-type vehicle or even a stylish crossover. Just something which can navigate a few inches of snow without costing the earth.

That’s why I predict Panda 4x4 will be a hit this winter. Costing from less than £15,000, this really is a go-anywhere car on a budget.

Yet the real beauty of this car is that it neither looks or rides like a chunky 4x4. It looks purposeful and is bigger than Pandas of old but it’s essentially a compact hatchback. The latest Fiat Panda 4x4 is a successor to a best-seller that first appeared more than 29 years ago.

The third generation Panda 4x4, which went on sale in January, has the same character and versatility as the original, but it’s much more of a grown up quality car these days.

Fiat say it’s a smart solution for drivers who want city car features without trading the passenger room and comfort of a five-door, or the go-anywhere ability of a full SUV, and it’s fair to say they have a point.

Despite the obvious advantages of having four-wheel drive in a compact five-door city car shape, the Panda 4x4 remains unique.

By linking an automatic four-wheel drive system to a choice of economical engines in a car with raised ground clearance, Fiat has created a true city car with 4x4 credibility.

The engine is worth focusing on. It sounds like a diesel but in truth it’s a two-cylinder petrol measuring less than a litre. That’s tiny by comparison with most 4x4s, but you’ll be impressed by its power and smoothness.

The Panda 4x4 is joined by Trekking, a two-wheeled-drive version costing £13,450, but in reality the 4x4 is preferred.

Panda 4x4 and Trekking have the same friendly, stylish shape as the regular Panda but with a chunkier style.

The increased ride height of the 4x4 and Trekking give them improved clearance for ability over rutted terrain.

A body that’s more rigid than previous versions sits on all-new suspension created for a combination of on-road comfort and off-road aptitude.

Under the bonnet, Panda 4x4 and Trekking versions offer a choice between the award-winning 875cc TwinAir Turbo and the 1.3-litre MultiJet 2 turbo diesel.

Both come with Start&Stop and a Gear Shift Indicator (GSI) which suggests to the driver the optimum point to change gear to achieve the best economy. I must say the Start&Stop system isn’t quite as smooth as it could be, but it does improve economy.

There are six airbags, anti-lock braking and ESP (Electronic Stability Program) as standard. Panda 4x4 and Trekking also feature the option of City Brake Control, a low-speed collision mitigation system usually found only on bigger cars.

At the heart of the 4x4 model lies a permanent all-wheel drive system. By analysing the information received from sensors on the vehicle, the control unit can apportion power between the front and rear axles depending on the amount of grip available.

Under low grip conditions such as snow, ice or mud, the coupling prevents wheel spin by increasing power to the rear wheels.

The Panda is a significant part of the Fiat story and the 4x4 version is an important chapter within that. The original Panda 4x4 was launched in June, 1983.

As the world’s first small transverse engined production car to have all wheels driven, it was years ahead of its time.

Today’s Panda is a much smoother and more capable too.

Fiat Panda 0.9 TwinAir 85bhp 4x4 PRICE: £15,330 with options. Base model is £13,950 ENGINE: An 875cc, two cylinder engine generating 85bhp via six-speed gearbox PERFORMANCE: Top speed 103mph and 0 to 60mph in 12.1 seconds COSTS: town 57.6mpg; country 65.7mpg; combined 47.9mpg EMISSIONS: 114g/km INSURANCE: Group 7 WARRANTY: Three years’ unlimited mileage warranty