THERE are some vehicles that, for all their load-lugging ability and off-road hardware, can genuinely be labelled boys' toys.
The Mitsubishi L200 Warrior with its threatening stance, huge chrome roll bars and 'Mount Fuji' grille is definitely one of them.
This king of the pick-ups is aggressive and packed with the sort of hardware that could pull a tractor out of a peat bog, in fact the sort of vehicle you would expect women to dismiss out of hand.
Or would they? First it was the kids, climbing in and out of the load bed, constantly opening and closing the electric rear windscreen, then sinking into the plush leather seats.
The real revelation came when the one we could affectionately refer to as 'management' - said she would rather drive the Warrior than a luxury estate.
Surely not. She couldn't really prefer this macho machine to a smooth, near silent, executive cruiser.
But her reasons go a long way to outlining the appeal of this model, even if you don't need to pull trailers, horseboxes or sluice through perma-mud.
For instance, the high driving position gives not only a panoramic view of the road but also a sense of authority - it can be unnerving to spot a Warrior looming large in your rear view mirror.
And while the 2.5-litre turbodiesel engine may sound on the rough side of agricultural and the five-speed manual gearshift a tad rubbery, there's no doubting the Mitsubishi's ease of driving and power once up to speed.
There's nothing raw about the Warrior's interior though. Leather upholstery, white-on-blue chrome-ringed instruments, appreciable rear legroom and a raft of features like CD sound system, electric windows, privacy glass and climate control ensure that the cabin mirrors the grade of a premium saloon.
Which brings us to one of the L200's principal attractions - its tax status.
Anyone running a pick-up as a company car is charged £500 tax for benefit-in-kind, and while that figure will leap to £3,000 next spring now that the government has latched onto the wheeze, it is still a hefty saving compared to a traditional car.
Mitsubishi has seen phenomenal growth in the L200's popularity here in recent years, reaching a peak of 34,314 in 2005, and expects this latest range to improve on its 35 per cent share of the market, despite the tax situation.
It's hard to disagree with that optimism, because apart from being a rugged workhorse the three models which make up what Mitsubishi describes as its 'high series' - the Warrior, Animal and Elegance - are serious fashion statements.
If you need to tackle the rough stuff - and for those requiring nothing more than that the L200 range starts at a tempting £12,397 for the 4Work single cab - the Warrior has a sophisticated Super Select four-wheel drive system, ABS, traction control and a vast carrying capacity.
It may be difficult to park in tight spaces and doesn't have much in the way of interior storage, but the load bay can be specified with a lockable cover and the electric rear window allows easy access to it.
FAST FACTS
Mitsubishi L200 2.5 DI-D Warrior
Price: £21,296
Mechanical: 134bhp, 2,477cc, DOHC common rail diesel engine driving four wheels via 5spd manual gearbox
Max speed: 103mph
0-62mph: 14.6 secs
Combined mpg: 32.8
Insurance group: 9
CO2 emissions: 228g/km
BiK rating: 33%
Warranty: 3yrs/ unlimited mileage, 6yrs paint, 6yrs anti-rust