Mitsubishi has been making double cabs for donkeys years. The L200 is one of the best on the market and the company has shifted 4.1 million globally over the last six decades.

However, the double cab really took off about 15 years ago when somebody higher up the food chain decided it would make a cool lifestyle vehicle too. You know, add some leather, chrome and an infotainment system and you have a muscle-bound four-seater with rock hard credentials.

And this latest Series 5 Barbarian model is just about the ultimate in ‘lifestyle’. Some might say it’s completely over the top but anybody who steps up into the cab for the first time will quickly realise it’s a class above any 4×4 pick-up Mitsubishi has ever built before.

I doubt many Barbarians will go further off-road than parking on the pavement but underneath all the gloss, it is a ‘proper’ working vehicle too. I’m not sure about all the luxury trim but I must admit I have a soft-spot for the L200 and look forward to the week ahead…