Lashing down with wet snow here in the Cotswolds today – just the right weather for an SUV. Inside the X-Trail you just turn a transmission dial and the 4×4 cuts in to do everything for you. I know that because I’m given a visual update too.

That said, the X-Trail has the world’s tiniest media display screen on the dashboard! However, that might be tainted by the fact that last week’s Tesla has 19-inches of visual loveliness.

But the Nissan also features a information system in the instrument binnacle too, which gives you readings on just about everything. One is an info system for the 4×4, it shows how much power is being divided between front (normal setting) and rear wheels.

What’s amazing is how little power runs to the back wheels in slippery snow. It rarely seems to be above 20 per cent. Which then makes me wonder if we actually need 4×4 SUVs in the first place…