As the snow and ice of winter seem like a distant memory, the way our S Line Quattro Audi A4 Avant coped with the treacherous conditions does not.

Its four-wheel drive system was the perfect antidote for the country’s unsalted roads as it ploughed on regardless of the weather.

However, the 2.0-litre 170bhp S Line Quattro version comes at a price compared to its two-wheel drive counterpart, costing as it does an additional £1,500.

The extra weight the system carries is also reflected in a slightly sluggish response when you put your foot down on the accelerator.

But when it’s a choice between sitting at home bemoaning how the country comes to a standstill with a change in the weather and being on the road in a car that does 0-60 in 8.6 seconds, I hardly think that’s a compromise.

In fact, if BAA had employed a fleet of snow-clearing Quattros then they may well have been able to keep the likes of Heathrow open.

Joking aside, if we’re to experience arctic conditions on a more regular basis then fleets will have to assess how best to cope when the weather changes for the worse.

Cold weather tyres - an option that has really taken off during the past six months - have won many converts.

However, four-wheel drive will inevitably increase a car’s CO2 emissions and usually decrease its fuel efficiency when compared to a two-wheel drive version.

The question is whether a fleet really considers this a price worth paying on top of the additional cost of a four-wheel drive variant.

In the case of the Audi A4 Avant 2.0 TDI S Line Quattro 170, it has emissions of 149g/km compared to 144g/km on the two-wheel drive S Line, and 49.6mpg against a standard 51.4mpg.

But, while long term weather forecasts are notoriously unreliable, it’s safe to say that if white Christmases become a regular fixture so will four-wheel drive variants.