Plus it‘s great off road and, if you tow, this vehicle will lug more about than any other rival can.

The Series 5 L200 model gets a new engine beneath the bonnet, a much more efficient 2. 4-litre DI-D diesel unit offered in either 151bhp or 178bhp guises. Choose the pokier version and you can get it mated to the five-speed automatic gearbox. This common rail powerplant develops more torque than before – up to 430Nm – and that’s facilitated a big improvement in braked towing capacity – up to 3,100kgs. It’s reasonably frugal too, the 178bhp variant manages 42. 8mpg on the combined cycle and 173g/km of CO2.

Handling isn’t up to SUV standards, but the solid chassis and rear leaf springs you have to have in any pick-up make that impossible. However, Mitsubishi has done what it can with vehicle dynamics and the result is a quieter, more responsive pick-up that’s better to drive than any other vehicle we’ve so far tried in this segment. Off road, most models get the brand’s clever ‘Super Select’ 4WD set-up, the only one in this class that allows progress at speed in 4WD on-tarmac. Off road, the L200 should be pretty unstoppable, thanks to differential lock options that should get you where you need to be.

At first glance, the fifth generation L200 double cab pick-up seems little more than an evolution of its successful predecessor. Look a little closer though and you discover that it’s actually more than 80% new, only three sections of floor and the main chassis rails having been carried over from before. The shape’s more efficient too, this is now the most aerodynamic Double Cab you can buy.

Time to take a seat inside. At first glance, those familiar with previous generation models might not feel that very much has changed but once you start to look around, key improvements begin to become apparent. Primarily, it’s all a bit more car-like, with less of the feel that other pick-ups give you of being sat in a commercial vehicle. To that end, the dash has more depth this time round and though it’s still trimmed in hard-wearing plastic, the material seems of higher quality and is enhanced on plusher models like this one by splashes of silver and piano black trim. The design of the fascia is more like an SUV than an LCV too, with a smart high-mounted touchscreen on the two top models that includes navigation and an incorporated rear view camera display.

Let’s take a seat in the back. The main change is that the total cabin zone of this vehicle is bigger this time around, the 1,745mm total length making it 56mm longer than a rival Toyota Hilux and a massive 103mm longer than a Volkswagen Amarok. That isn’t something you especially notice at the front but it makes a big difference at the rear when it comes to legroom, especially of course on longer trips.

At the back, you’re faced with a cargo bed 475mm deep – that’s 15mm deeper than the previous Series 4 model – and 1,470mm in both length and width. In this area, you’d be able to take a payload of up to 1,045kg. Most rivals can better these figures but that, according to Mitsubishi, doesn’t tell the whole story. The brand points out that the stat that really matters to many operators is the one for combined carrying and towing capacity, an area in which the Series 5 L200 is indisputably a class leader. Combine the cargo area capacity with the model’s prodigious braked towing capability of up to 3,100kg and you’ll be able to lug up to 4,090kg – that’s 77kgs more than an Isuzu D-Max and around 230kgs more than a Toyota HiLux or a Volkswagen Amarok.

In summary, you can see why so many pick-up buyers choose this one, whether their need is to transport quadbikes and surfboards or hardcore and shovels. As before, it’s tough, good looking and offers a wide range of choice but now, it’s that bit easier to live with too. All of which, more than ever, makes this Mitsubishi a vehicle that customers in this segment can’t ignore.