14 minutes ago, agedbriar said:

Or, 225/55 R17, which are factory fitted on 4x4's with 17" wheels.

True if Sanqhar had a 4x4.

The front tyres on my 2WD SEL 1.5 manual  Karoq do not inspire confidence,( Turanza and about 2mm tread) . So I set off this morning down the lane which was about 1 in 4 in places and sheet ice. I slithered down to the bottom and was glad to join the salted main A road. Before  returning this PM my wife rang me to say that neighbours had been unable to climb the hill as it was still sheet ice.  I decided to give it go as did not fancy humping some heavy shopping  1/4 mile uphill and to my complete surprise it sailed up.

The ABS etc. was clicking away but I stuck it in third gear and it did not skid once. Really quite impressed. I did have a similar experience with my previous car a 2WD Octavia driving 200 miles up through a snow storm all the way from the Midlands  to virtually untreated roads in Weardale etc. and was thinking of trading in the Karoq for another Octavia. On todays experience I will be hanging on the Karoq and get it shod with Michelin all season.

It might not be applicable for your hill but don’t forget that backing up puts more weight on the front wheels and gives more grip.  

@Karock That is not ABS, it is TC (

ASR) Traction Control (Anti Slip Regulation) as was called. Then there is  ESP (ESC) Electronic Stability Programme. (Electronic Stability Control.)

Driving in reverse up a hill for 1/4 mile would be a real pain in the neck for me.

 

ABS? Not really bothered what its name is, the electronic gizmos it certainly worked though. A neighbour who managed to put his LR Disco in the ditch was looking on in amazement.

18 hours ago, DSL said:

It might not be applicable for your hill but don’t forget that backing up puts more weight on the front wheels and gives more grip.  

 Reminds me of many many years ago when I was with a friend and his car couldn't climb a steep hill in North Wales. But the reverse gear was a lower ratio and we managed it in reverse!

There is another wee period of snow and wintry conditions coming in the next 48 hours for some that have not already had much in Scotland.

Tier 4 lock down Mainland Scotland's Central Belt will likely be in a bit of pandemonium as people ignore warning if there are any to not travel unless essential and if you do be prepared.

Deffo no longer going out playing, car gets de-snowed and de-iced for our daily walk and that’s it.  We’re just N of the Amber Alert area but expecting a decent amount.  Highland Council issue snow gauge, some call it a garden waste wheelie bin, is at the ready, though don’t want a repeat of this.  
 

Bit of a snowfall today, enough to hide the sheet ice which made driving and walking fun.   

 

 

A lot more due tonight, like pos 30 - 40cm, should make getting out fun and games.   Luckily Tesco delivery driver had no issues and ready to get cut off from the world.  Apart from t’internet and leckie please.  

Found a little annoyance re the front screen de-misting vent, or in this case de-icing.  It’s only one vent and it splits the air left and right, leaving a V in the middle that either gets little or no air.  Not normally a problem but there’s an area under the mirror that didn’t de-ice on the inside even though the car was fully up to temp on a several mile drive.  The outside had been de-iced/scraped and most of the inside had been squeeqied to get the moisture and what ice I could out (moisture build up is inevitable as we’re in and out of the car with wet/snowy boots and have been since before Chrimbo) but there was an annoying area that wouldn’t even scrape off internally.  Screen was cleared enough to see perfectly, no reindeer were harmed on said drive, it was a tad parkie this morning, like -10c.  

Just to share my suspicion that cold weather may do hidden damage to your car. Noticed this “swell” on the bottom od driver’s (lhd) side door..looks like some water got trapped inside, got frozen at the bottom and caused this. Since i have no other explanation for this “swell”.