Nissan Navara

If your workhorse has seen better days, or you need to focus your transportation needs towards a more practical wagon, then why not consider a pick-up truck.

As I mentioned in a previous report, the market for these wagons has exploded in recent years, with many mainstream car makers producing a variety of pick-ups in various sizes with two or four doors and as many trim levels and options as you can shake a sheepdog at.

Today's pick-up is a far cry from the original utility vehicle, where unwelcoming, noisy, cold, rough 'n' ready utes were undoubtedly a luxury-free zone with all the creature comforts of an empty baked bean tin.

Oh, how times have changed.

I've been test driving the Nissan Navara Double Cab. It's a beast of a pick-up with selectable part-time four-wheel drive. This range-top model is called Aventura (Spanish for Adventure and an apt name for a wagon which is made in Spain).

The brute is easily recognisable as being a member of Nissan's 4x4 family. It shares the distinctive face and proportions, on a larger scale. Big Brother of the range, and as such, it demands respect. The 17-inch alloy wheels, side steps, tinted glass and roof bars add to the vision of strength, which is backed up by its ability to carry more than one tonne in its 'largest in class' cargo bed.

Nissan has been making 4x4 wagons for years and probably now makes more SUVs than it does 'ordinary' family cars. Navara is one of the larger pick-up trucks on the market today and is bigger than its curvaceous and slightly softer rival the Mitsubishi L200.

After being bowled over by its overwhelming stature, I couldn't wait to get behind the wheel to find out if this truck's road manners were as good as its looks. And, I wasn't disappointed. The steering is more precise than I was expecting and the six-speed transmission is hardly noticeable. It does wallow because it's high up off the ground but I've experienced a lot worse, that's for sure. Navara feels quite sprightly too with the 2.5-litre turbo diesel engine dishing out 168 bhp and 403 Nm of torque, making it more than adept at towing 2.5 tonnes.

Driving off-road is a breeze, not only because of the superb ground clearance, but thanks to its low-ratio gearbox giving it the best crawl ratio in its class and the limited slip differential for superb levels of traction.

It is quite a climb up into the cabin but the wide side step made the whole process much easier. Inside the cabin I was very impressed with the quality of the materials and just how car-like it is inside. It is definitely more luxury car than pick-up. There didn't appear to be anything 'commercial vehicle' about the fixtures and fittings.

Storage in the cabin is a real boon. There are boxes and cubbies everywhere, so you can stash tools, electrical equipment, money, sandwiches, you name it!

The list of standard equipment is really impressive, too, and includes items like ISOFIX child seat anchors, dual zone air conditioning, electric sunroof, 6CD autochanger, DVD sat nav, rain sensing wipers, trip computer and cruise control to name a few.

Heated leather seats are great, especially in this icy cold weather – brass monkeys not an option. However, if you work in a mucky trade then you will want to keep these lovely seats covered and protected. That goes for all the trim and switchgear. I can see the beautiful buttons and stalks becoming dirty and worn over time if the driver is in the building trade.

Navara is not cheap. At £26,518 it is right at the top end of the pick-up scale. But you are effectively getting several vehicles rolled into one. You do get refinement and practicality for your money – a luxury five-seater with four-wheel drive, plus a cargo bed you could fit a herd of sheep in. You're getting rugged good looks, and for businesses, a tax break bonus.

No stylish pick-up would be complete without the option of a cargo cover, or in Navara's case a Snugtop. With built-in roof bars and front-mounted fairing, to allow for smooth airflow, the XTR Snugtop also includes an integrated LED third brake light, large rear window and remote entry.

Service intervals are eked out to two years, or 18,000 miles between oil changes, which means less time in the garage, more time at work.

You probably wouldn't be interested in a car/truck of this nature if you had to do the school run in it because I can assure you it is not suitable for that little job. It also doesn't do the weekly shopping in a satisfactory matter – unless you want a food processor built in, because by the time you've arrived home, your groceries will be, quite literally, mixed up and splattered around the Snugtop.

However, if your business is of a bulky nature and you need to transport large and heavy items, without them interfering with anything in the passenger cabin, this is perfect – especially with the standard-fit C-Channel fixing points for securing loads.

NISSAN Navara 2.5 Aventura

Diesel 5-speed automatic

Top speed: 105 mph

0-62mph: 11.8 seconds

Max power: 168.9 bhp @ 4,000 rpm

Max torque: 403 Nm @ 2000 rpm

Urban economy: 22.2 mpg

Extra urban: 30.7 mpg

Combined: 26.9 mpg

CO2 emissions: 283 g/km

Price: £22,400 (+£3,920 VAT)