MODELS with all-wheel drive, such as the Volkswagen Amarok pick-up, have had a special status within the German brand's commercial vehicle range for more than 30 years.

VW's 4MOTION system has just been extended and guarantees that mobility is assured in places where other drive versions have to throw in the towel.

Using 4x4 drive means that workhorses like the big-selling Amarok can cope with unsurfaced tracks, building sites, snow and ice and are ideal for towing.

The latest Amarok was updated last autumn and has been further enhanced with a new 3.0-litre V6 TDI oil-burner which now offers 204bhp under the bonnet with 500Nm or torque.

Later this year a rear-wheel drive version is set to keep it company and VW says that worldwide the current share of 4MOTION versions stands at 46 per cent meaning that almost every other Amarok is a 4x4.

There will also be a choice of a switchable all-wheel drive model of the Amarok with a six-speed manual gearbox.

It can be worked hard and is able to fit a Euro pallet between its rear wheel arches and carry a payload of up to 1,114kg and has a braked towing weight of 3,100kg,

It has a top speed of 119mph and a 0-62mph sprint time of 8.0 seconds and VW claims it will return around 36mpg on a combined run which equates to emissions of 207g/km.

This workhorse isn't just for lugging round heavy loads, it also offers users the opportunity to use it for leisure and outdoor pursuits.

It is an ideal pick-up for camping gear, quad-bikes or cycles and still offers great interior space, with seating for five, which is by no means basic.

The new Amarok comes equipped with the Composition Media radio which features a 6.5-inch colour touchscreen, six loud-speakers, a CD player, an electronic voice amplification and AppConnect.

It also comes with bi-xenon headlamps with separate LED daytime running lights and LED number plate lighting making the Amarok stand out from the crowd.

Other features include park distance control, which has both front and rear parking sensors and a rear view camera, heated driver and passenger seats and leather seat trim covers.

It also features a Discover media navigation system which combines sat nav with entertainment - all controlled from the touchscreen display.

My driving experience was all off-road in Germany navigating some deeply rutted tracks and miles of harsh terrain.

Despite not being shod with the toughest off-road tyres, the Amarok with its 4MOTION system activated, ploughed on and managed to complete the course without coming to a standstill.

Starting price for the latest Amarok is £32,493.