OFFICIAL NORTH AMERICAN SNOW VEHICLES OF THE YEAR - LAND ROVER'S 2010 LINE-UP SHOULD GET THE VOTE, SAYS ANDREW POLSINELLI

Just watching The Weather Channel this past weekend was enough to send shivers down your spine and have you reaching for the hot chocolate, writes Andrew Polsinelli, Land Rover North America General Manager of Product Planning.

The massive winter storm that powered through the Southeast dumped over a foot of snow on parts of Kentucky, West Virginia and Maryland and wreaked havoc on the roads. Friends in Greensboro, North Carolina emailed to say they got more snow in 24 hours than they usually get in an entire winter.

Obviously, the best place for your car or truck when the white stuff is on the ground is tucked‑away in your garage, but there are times when you just have to go somewhere – to check on relatives, get to work, go to the grocery store or take the kids tobogganing – which is why the entire 2010 Model Year Land Rover line‑up should get the award for "North American Snow Vehicles of the Year" (if there were such an award).

Just how remarkable these vehicles are was brought home to me with a vengeance last week when we got a major snowstorm here in northern New Jersey. I walked out of my house to be whacked by an icy blast and found my new LR4 under three or four inches of snow… with more coming down heavy.

But in all our new 2010 Land Rovers and Range Rovers, there’s one button you press to fight the frost and kill the chill. Activating the Climate Control system’s one‑button Programmed Defrost Mode fires up the heated windshield, the rear screen defroster and the heated door mirrors. It also puts the blower on max and directs the airflow to the screen and front side windows.

Then, for the ultimate winter warming, flick on the heated front seats and, my favorite, the heated steering wheel. By the time I’d braved the elements to brush off the snow off the exterior, the windows were clear and the cabin felt toastier than a Swedish sauna.

Now for the serious part… getting out of my driveway and hitting the highway. This is where the LR4 really comes into its own. By turning the dial on Land Rover’s patented Terrain Response® control to ‘Grass, Gravel and Snow’ you engage one of the most remarkable pieces of driving technology ever invented.

What it does, in an instant, is reconfigure the engine, transmission and traction control settings to deliver maximum traction on everything from fresh snow to slippery slush. So it will command the transmission to start off in second gear instead of first. It also lengthens the throttle travel, making power delivery more progressive to avoid wheelspin, and instructs the traction control system to cut in earlier to rein‑in slithers and slides before they happen.

Yes, the drive to the office was still pretty stressful – largely because of what the other people on the road were doing – but the LR4 got me there safely, securely and with very toasty buns.

2010 Range Rovers making their way across Vermont

Land Rover's 2010 Range Rover Sport tackling Vermont's winter weather offerings

Land Rover's 2010 Range Rover Sport plays in the snow

Land Rover's 2010 Range Rover shows outstanding off‑roading capability in the snow