I'm sure that a good clutch control and decent tyres will be just as good as a TC system.
That's the EDL. Which only works up to 25mph. It sounds like the gearbox is broken when it kicks in. If you can't get the wheels to spin, there must be something wrong.
A-Class Mercs have the same. Horrible. Slows the car down off the line and majes the car worse in snow.