STORM force winds bringing down trees, flooded roads and threats of snow to come will make quite a few people think how reassuring it would be to have a 4x4 in these situations.

There is a vociferous, generally townie, lobby against the "Chelsea tractor", but they have their place both in the countryside and as workhorses used by the police, in construction, and for leisure pursuits such as towing horseboxes, boats or caravans.

Some just feel safer riding high, having a better view of the road ahead and more protection, especially for child passengers, hence the boom in sports utility vehicles or SUVs.

A decade ago, Land Rover responded to the advent of cheaper and cheerful rivals by launching the Freelander - a "softroader" that was more of a high-riding family car than mud-plugging countryside workhorse.

Smaller than the flagship Range Rover and the growing Discovery, as a Land Rover it was naturally still a more-than-competent 4x4, even if few of its number ever got their tyres muddy. Its popularity was such that it topped the UK's 4x4 sales charts until just over a year ago.

In that ten years, Freelander has evolved for the better but now it has leapt forward in Freelander 2 guise as a thoroughly impressive 4x4 that was crowned SUV of the Year by BBC's Top Gear Magazine team.

The Freelander 2 is on sale now at Land Rover dealerships, priced from £20,935 to £33,990, including a climate care contribution to offset carbon emissions for 45,000 miles.

Just as the Boxster has grown from being the "poor man's Porsche", Freelander 2 can tow a two-tonne braked trailer and is a headturner in its own right, and that's saying something when it applies both in your home downland village and parking near Waitrose.

The version tested, courtesy of Southampton main dealer Hunters, was the range-topping HSE Td4 powered by a lusty 2.2 litre turbo diesel engine mated to six-speed manual transmission, that's priced at £30,935 on the road.

This includes the leather upholstery and satellite navigation with on-board computer incorporating Blue-tooth phone connectivity, priced at £1,750 and £1,500 respectively when listed as options on other models.

This five-door five-seater machine has not just shed its plastic wheel arch trims for a glossier image, it has a big-car feel, brilliant ride and handling that has to be experienced to be believed.

There's everything you could wish for in pursuit of go-anywhere motoring, including that very sophisticated but simple to use all-wheel-drive system.

There is one surprising omission, considering its agricultural forebears just had mats on the floor - the rubber mats to protect the smart black carpets were the only option added and they cost £60!

But the mechanicals have full protection, from robust underbody trays to 100 per cent double-sided zinc-coated steel panels, as part of the most sophisticated anti-corrosion and paint treatment ever used on a Land Rover for an unlimited-mileage, three-year paint-surface warranty and six-year anti-corrosion guarantee.

The new Freelander is bigger, at 14ft 9in long, 6ft 3in wide and 5ft 8in high, which might make a home garage a squeeze, but it provides plenty of room, with 38 per cent more boot space than its predecessor.

Despite being larger and better equipped, the refined diesel Freelander 2 is a more sporty performer with 160hp on tap against its 112hp 2.0 predecessor for 0-60mph in 10.9 seconds and 112mph potential - and it boasts enhanced combined economy of 37.7mpg.

By comparison, the 233hp 3.2 litre petrol version cracks 0-60mph in 8.4 seconds, tops 120mph and averages 25.2mpg.

However, in winter that 4x4 system is probably more pertinent than dashing anywhere and the Terrain Response could not be easier to operate - a far cry from the days of manually locking front hubs or throwing levers or switches.

The innovative full-time intelligent 4x4 transmission is fundamental to Freelander 2's class-leading breadth of capability.

Only a small amount of torque is fed to the rear wheels under normal conditions, but in tough off-road situations almost all the engine torque can be fed to the rear wheels if required. This is an ideal arrangement that always offers maximum grip when required yet minimises fuel consumption.

There are four Terrain Response settings, which the driver can select via a rotary control and the first is for general driving on road and easier off-road situations. One click round and you are ready for grass/gravel/snow - slippery conditions, on-road or off-road. Click again and you're ready for mud and ruts and finally, there's the sand mode.

Electronic traction control and anti-lock brakes are all adjusted and tuned by Terrain Response to offer optimum grip, braking power and safety on the chosen terrain. It also operates hill descent control that automatically restricts speed downhill, using the anti-lock brakes, and improves driver control on slippery descents. All you do is sit there and steer!

Talking of sitting, six-way adjustment is standard on all driver seats, including height adjustment. The front passenger seat has four-way adjust.

The sound systems for Freelander 2 are headed by a top-level version that features Dolby Prologic IIx surround sound, incorporating a 12x40 W amplifier. It is delivered through 12 speakers, and the system has a six-disc in-dash CD changer. An auxiliary audio connection (for iPods and MP3 players) is standard.