Mitsubishi L200 I was clear about my duty from the moment I left the office to collect the Mitsubishi L200.
With SUVs ranking just above serial killers on the social ladder, I dragged along my politically correct prejudices to collect the dressed up pick-up truck from Japan.
I was to drive the vehicle and quickly proceed to ridicule not only it, but also the society we find ourselves in where such vehicles are bought increasingly by suburbanites for school runs and shopping trips. The high moral ground beckoned and I was to drive this monstrous pick-up right to its peak before pushing it over the edge, claiming the hallowed turf of righteousness for all "right-thinking people".
But then things never go to plan. It wasn't quite a Paulian revelation, but then again my route was not to Damascus but down the Naas Road. Beneath the bile welled up in our mind's eye - swelled from all the comments we had received upon mentioning the very existence of this pick-up with saloon car passenger space - came the soothing balm of reality and sanity.
The L200 is a really impressive package. I guess that means I'm banished to the rutted wastelands of motoring immorality. I've joined the rest of the poor souls who think that if it doesn't spew out any more noxious gases than a large saloon then it isn't the devil's chariot people say it is.
True, it's not a discreet little city car. In fact you could probably park a Smart fortwo on its loading bay. And yes, it does bear a certain menace towards fellow road users thanks to its stature. While the old one loomed large in your rear-view mirror, its lines were softer, more neutral.
This model has the sharp lines that seem to have been created by a samurai sword, the pointed front grille snarling at anyone who gets in its way.
Despite that, or perhaps because of it, it looks impressive.
A psychiatrist would probably argue that it's down to some inferiority complex developed during childhood - perhaps from watching movies like Convoy too many times - but there is something inherently masculine about climbing up into a vehicle and driving it away.
Regardless of the reasons behind it, the feeling was shared by many who rode in the L200 during the week of testing.
Away from the psychology of SUV ownership, the L200 offers some immensely practical features. None more so than the simple fact that it's a pick-up truck with a covered rear cargo area and has seating for five in the relative comfort of a well laid-out cabin. And all this for €33,730.
That's the price of the high specification version and it comes with leather seats, a CD player, air-conditioning, electric windows and central locking.
The back seats don't feel like some post-production add-on, but can accommodate three adults with ample legroom and easy access through the back doors.
Put aside your prejudices against SUVs and look at the facts: this is a vehicle that costs less than the average family saloon - cheaper than the likes of the Ford Mondeo, the Toyota Avensis or the Opel Vectra and yet offers similar interior and rear loading space.
For all its bulk and supposed menace, the L200 measures in at only 17cm longer than an Opel Vectra estate and not as wide as a Ford Mondeo estate.
What we have is a five-seater alternative to the family estate: something far more original than the often anonymous estate yet not at outlandish prices.
Of course, there are some massive trade-offs in return for that extra shot of masculinity in your motoring world.
For a start this is nothing like as good to drive as an estate car. There's nothing sophisticated about the engineering. It's a basic pick-up, with leaf-spring rear suspension and a noisy diesel engine that sends judders through the gearbox even when idling.
It's 0-100km/h time is a full five seconds slower than most other saloon cars in its price bracket and you get there with the aural accompaniment of the 2.5-litre engine growling as if it's in pain.
The ride is perfect for rutted roads and even our rear-seat passengers were taken by its ability to dive into veritable canyons without the slightest complaint while keeping all inside cushioned from the harsh reality of the road.
The four-wheel-drive system works like a charm and in the higher specification models, the L200 features what Mitsubishi refers to as a "super shift" system that allows you to lock it into four-wheel-drive.
Yet all that suppleness on tough terrain comes at a price on the open road and the L200 does wallow in corners, particularly when the rear load bay is empty.
These vehicles are designed for long straight trails in the US, not the twisting back roads of Ireland. That said, the higher specification models come with traction and stability control, so cornering is not so much a safety issue but more to do with comfort.
One practical problem with pick-ups is that your prized possessions are put on show for all to see. You may fancy the idea of heading down to the local shop and chucking your groceries in the back before heading back to the ranch, but in Ireland, at least, that means exposing everything in the back not just to the elements but to every gurrier in the neighbourhood.
Mitsubishi has overcome this problem in the non-commercial versions of the L200 by adding a proper metal cover for the loading bay and it's a very useful addition.
There's enough room here to throw a couple of bicycles, a few sets of golf clubs and a pram, while still leaving room for a full weekly shop, and all hidden away from prying eyes. The only problem with it is that the lock and handle is prehistoric, like something taken off an old Ford Anglia. You get the impression that a determined 12-year-old with a paper clip could probably pick the lock.
For all the smart styling and comfortable cabin features, the L200 is still a basic pick-up truck. That means it's never going to compete with a modern family estate in terms of pleasure or performance.
Its height and limited rear visibility makes parking a chore and its fuel consumption is thirsty, relative to the more efficient engines that feature in family cars these days. Then there's the loading bay that's nothing more than basic sheet metal. Yet there's something charming and ruggedly practical about the L200.
Certainly it's a lot of motoring metal for its price. Mitsubishi's engineers deserve great credit for their ability to turn this unsophisticated workhorse into something so appealing to the average motorist.
Would we buy one over a Ford Mondeo or Toyota Avensis estate? Probably not, but only because of comparative performance issues. If we were looking to escape the bland anonymity of the fleet car-park while at the same time seeking out a more rugged practical offering, then the L200 has an unsophisticated charm about it.
