WITH the Amarok Volkswagen set out to prove that manufacturers such as Mitsubishi did not have it all their own way when it came to classy pick-ups.

This four-door five seater double cab comes loaded with refinement and some impressive economy and environmental stats aiming also to deliver the quality and convenience of a passenger car.

Amarok production began in the company's plant at Buenos Aires in Argentina 2010 and it is now on sale in a number of countries from the UK to Australasia.

This lifestyle contender born of the humble commercial pick-up became the first in its sector to offer carbon emissions below 200g/km and was the only pick-up to feature a the choice of selectable or permanent 4MOTION all-wheel-drive transmissions - not to mention a best in class load area of 2.5 square metres that can accommodate a Euro pallet sideways.

One of the most remarkable features is the latest generation ESP hill hold assist and hill descent control plus electronic differential lock, anti-slip regulation and off-road ABS.

If you set it up correctly it will tackle quite steep ascents and descents in first gear or even in neutral with the driver just steering it.

For me the hill descent control working in neutral is probably the most impressive feature.

Its serious off-road performance is underpinned by a tough ladder-frame chassis and it closes the gap between 4x4 pick-up and saloon car comfort considerably.

The Amarok is powered by a 2.0-litre TDI with two power outputs of 122ps and 163ps, both paired to a six-speed manual transmission.

I drove the Startline 2.0 BiTDI 122ps selectable 4x4 version which at the on-road price of £22,566 is expected one of the big sellers. It has an emissions figure of 199k/km and a combined economy readout of 37.2mpg, underlining that the Amarok is out to gain sales from the saloon and hatchback sector.

And although still a commercial vehicle, the comfort levels for the five occupants of the cab are high.

With 100mph in its sights and a 0-62mph sprint of 13.7 seconds it is no sluggard and on-road handling is way up to the mark for a vehicle of this type with heavy-duty suspension.

It looks smart too, using a frontal design similar to that of the latest VW passenger cars catering for the market that likes its pick-ups with a splash of dash.