THE Prime Minister recently quoted from an advert about something doing exactly what it says on the tin.

That could easily be adapted to Mitsubishi's mighty Shogun, it does what it looks like it is capable of.

It is a big off-roader that can handle the worst terrains. That, together with legendary reliability and safety means it has a loyal following.

It has been around a while now, 31 years actually, and the latest incarnation is a world away from the original in terms of advanced technology.

But in terms of looks, it is evolution that has been the key. If you like Tonka-toy type looks, the Shogun won't disappoint but it still offers neat styling cues making more of vehicle for the 21st century.

It is not the most sophisticated of four wheel drives and if you want an off-road vehicle that has the extra refinements, then you will have to pay serious wedge more for it.

But it still features a smart chrome grille and  colour-keyed front bumper together with black front skid plate.

Sat on 12-spoke 18 inch alloy wheels, the bodywork also incorporates black roof rails and rear-door mounted spare wheel to give it workhorse with a dash of style profile.

It comes in three and five door options and SG2, SG3, SG4 and Warrior styling.

All are well equipped, but it lacks the finish and refinement of some of its European rivals.

But that doesn't mean the materials used are low grade, just more practical. Instrumentation is concise and logical and switchgear well-placed and robust while dials have enhanced illumination and other parts of the interior feature stylish brushed silver finish.

For those who like a bit more comfort, leather seating is available on the range-topper.

It is a massive car, particularly in long wheelbase form with seating for seven and masses of head and legroom.

It is also hugely practical with the rearmost seats folding away neatly to to open up 663 litres, which opens up again to a huge 1,789 litres with the second row folded. Naturally, stowage space is restricted with all seven seats in place with just 221 litres of space available.

Powered by a 3.2-litre diesel mated to a five-speed automatic gearbox you would expect it to be a thirsty beast, but it proved surprisingly frugal over period of days seeming to perform better than the clamied 33.2mpg figure.

But this is no green machine and CO2 emissions are high and the engine is noisy on startup but the huge amount of torque means it can pull most things required in everday life. It is more likely to be seen pulling a horsebox to the horse show through muddy fields than battling through rivers and rainforests.

Its off-road capability is legendary, but on road it is not so good.

The Shogun is fine at pottering around and is even a decent ride on the motorway, where wind and road noise, though evident are by no means intrusive. But don't think you can start throwing it around as body roll is quite evident.

But that is not the point of this vehicle. Buyers know what they want, it is big, with a commanding driving position, safe and attracts a loyal following as more than 104,000 sales since it was introduced into the UK.

It won't be cheap to run, tax and insure, but that probably won't trouble the enthusiasts.