THERE'S plenty of tough terrain out there - jagged rocks, muddy fields, steep hills and the like; the sort of stuff that today's more rugged 4x4s take in their stride.

Then there's proper unrelenting glacial and volcanic hardcore, that only a special type of vehicle can survive.

Toyota's Hilux showed it was exactly that when it became first car to reach both the Magnetic North and South Poles.

Impressive for sure. But when it was driven to the edge of the Eyjafallajokull volcano in Iceland, the same little firework that grounded countless aircraft thanks to its dust plumes, then that was on the cusp of lunacy.

But the Hilux lived to tell the tale - and continues to flourish as Europe's best-selling pick-up.

Of course the big Toyota is no new kid on the block, it has been showing rivals how to operate for 47 years.

It's just that these days everything is achieved with more style, efficiency and comfort.

True, things could be a little more refined, but then so could your typical world heavyweight champion - when fist connects flush with the chin you go down, whether it looks pretty or not.

There are three versions of the Hilux up for grabs in the shape of a two-seater Single Cab, a four-seat Extra Cab with rear seats really only for occasional use and a five-seater Double Cab plus a choice of two engines - 2.5 and 3.0-litre diesels - and a trio of trim levels.

The tested Double Cab is the most sensible, especially for family use, and in the top spec Invincible grade has the 3.0-litre engine and also comes with a raft of kit.

Both acceleration and cruising speed is good for such a large vehicle, one that you wouldn't expect to return more than 30 miles per gallon, and of course it also has four-wheel drive for when you need to venture further off-road than the supermarket car park.

Another advantage of the Invincible is that it features a rear-view camera, which is essential for a 5,260mm vehicle with pick-up bed.

Otherwise you get all the comfort and convenience kit that suggest this is anything but a commercial vehicle.

The fact that the Hilux is classed a CV though means that owners who are entitled to claim back VAT can do so.