MITSUBISHI is celebrating its 40 year of selling cars in the UK and one of the company's greatest success stories is the mighty Outlander which offers a perfect blend of practicality, versatility, style and performance.

Although the latest Outlander grabbing the headlines is the plug-in hybrid model, there's no denying the appeal of the full-blooded diesel version with its rugged, ready-for-action stance, richly-equipped interior and four-wheel-drive capabilities.

The range-topping GX5 automatic model looked great from any approach with its sweeping lines, tinted windows, daytime running lights, 18-inch alloys, sunroof, powered tailgate, skid plates and body coloured bumpers, mirrors and door handles.

The interior is clutter-free with a simplistic layout. And there are plenty of techno treats to be explored such as a sat nav, dual-zone air conditioning, heated leather seats, Bluetooth connectivity and a colour touchscreen.

Gaining access to the CD player or SD card functions is a tad unusual as the touchscreen folds outwards. It is a little awkward getting it back again as the open/close button is out of direct sight. But that aside, all other systems and instrumentation is ideal for driver usability.

The car has bags of room for five adults to travel in comfort and two additional seats are folded flat to the boot floor. These can be easily accessed although they are only really suitable for children.

Powered by a 2.2-litre diesel-driven engine, the Outlander is very smooth with plenty of zip and acceleration when needed. The six-speed automatic transmission is smooth and responsive and there are steering wheel-mounted paddles if you want to change gears manually.

Despite its beefy design and all-wheel-drive capabilities, the Outlander is deceptively agile and the economy is fairly impressive too. Official figures show it can achieve 48.7mpg on a combined run with carbon emissions of 153g/km. And although the 0-62mph sprint time is not rapid and takes 11.7 seconds, it is beautifully smooth along the way.

The all-round visibility is excellent and comfort levels are good for all occupants with ample leg, head and shoulder room in the back.

The Outlander also has an eco mode setting so you can monitor your driving and maximise fuel efficiency.

Other features on the GX5 model include adaptive cruise control, a forward collision mitigation system, lane departure warning and plenty of other safety systems that helped it achieve the maximum five starts in the Euro NCAP safety ratings.

All in all, the Outlander is a great car. The interior is starting to look a little dated compared to some rivals, but it certainly offers a nice mix of elegant styling along with roughtie toughtie go-anywhere capabilities.