IT'S built for hard work off-road but what's good about the VW Amarok pick-up is it's also so car-like and street-friendly.

Here is a vehicle that's not only a highly capable workhorse but also one that is as comfortable as a company car, with the top versions furnished in the manner of swish executive saloons.

Choose a Highline example and sumptuous Vienna leather upholstery comes as part of the deal along with an air conditioning system with climate control and heated front seats.

You also get a carpeted floor rather than rubber flooring as found in the entry-level Startline Amaroks.

These are not features many associate with pick-ups and they show how the flat-backed models have changed as manufacturers meet the needs of a broader audience for them.

These days pick-ups are not only bought by farmers, foresters and builders but also by people with more active lifestyles.

A pick-up is ideal if you enjoy mountain biking or water sports because a muddy bike or a jet ski can be transported without fear of interior trim being damaged.

Should the load deck become dirty it is simply a matter of hosing it down and that is far easier than cleaning out the back of an SUV or estate.

Amarok pick-ups come in Startline, Trendline or Highline form, all with 4Motion four-wheel-drive and a hill descent control system as found on the best SUVs, so no problems when venturing off-road and tackling slippery inclines. They start from £16,995, which will buy a Startline with a 122PS diesel engine, while the Trendline and range-topping Highline versions with a more powerful, 163PS diesel under the bonnet, are priced from £18,995 and £21,575 respectively.

Volkswagen's decision to give the vehicle two-litre diesel engines when other pick-ups have larger power plants means lower CO2 emissions and improved fuel economy. The 122PS engine produces 199g/km, giving the vehicle the lowest CO2 emissions in the sector with the result that it is the first pick-up to break the 200 g/km threshold. Meanwhile, the 163 PS bi-turbo models have a CO2 emissions figure of 209 g/km.

As for economy, VW states that both engines have achieved more then 35mpg on the combined cycle. My average with the 163PS power plant was slightly under 30mpg.

Most impressive was the strong pulling power of the bi-turbo engine. It delivers 400 Nm from 1,750 rpm, making the pick-up ideal for some serious towing. VW quotes a maximum towing weight of up to 2,690 kg for models with a selectable 4Motion system and up to 2,800 kg for the Highline with permanent four-wheel-drive.

Many pick-up owners use them for towing, so it's a good move by VW to have made a trailer stabilisation function a standard feature of the vehicle.

Every Amarok with the selectable 4Motion transmission has a gross vehicle weight of 3,170 kg with unladen weights ranging from 2,051 kg to 2,106 kg, and payloads between 1,064 kg to 1,119 kg. Highline 4Motion permanent models are lighter and have a reduced payload of 750 kg.

The vehicle's selectable four-wheel drive system is very easy to use. It offers a choice between rear-wheel drive, four-wheel drive and low range four-wheel drive at the touch of buttons on the centre console.

The alternative permanent 4Motion set-up is unusual in the pick-up sector. The system, more usually found in SUVs, drives all the wheels all the time giving superior driving dynamics. It also comes with the bonus of a comfort suspension set-up. A downside is the reduced payload.

Huge demand for the pick-up in South America and Asia resulted in its UK introduction being put back from 2010 until last spring.

It was worth the wait because the Amarok is an outstanding vehicle in so many ways.

This is a pick-up that's refined as a company car as well as being a vehicle that offers outstanding off-road credentials thanks to its ladder frame chassis, generous ground clearance and short front and rear overhangs.

It also offers the largest load area of all its key UK rivals as well as being the only one to be able to carry a Euro pallet sideways.

All Amaroks sold in the UK are doublecab pick-ups with ample room for five adults to travel in comfort.

The rear bench, that seats three, can be tipped forward to provide additional secure storage space inside the vehicle.

Go for a Highline version, as tested, and you get most attractive proposition indeed with the leather upholstery heading a package deal that also includes a leather-wrapped steering wheel.

I also had an optional sat-nav system.

Optional side bars and style bars for the rear loadspace complemented the alloy wheels found across the line-up in making the vehicle a real eyecatcher.