DRIVING a truck is only preceded in the 'doing manly things stakes' by building fires and cooking barbecue food.

Haul yourself into an oversize pick-up and you are immediately transformed from average Joe to GI Joe, or at least I am.

Even before I have turned the key in the ignition I am, in my minds eye, capable of lassoeing steers and chopping down trees with my bare hands.

Back in the day, that scenario was possibly true. Such vehicles needed several miles to stop, a turning circle akin to that of an ocean going liner and required the driver to possess arms like Bluto just in order to turn the steering wheel.

Nowadays, things are a lot different.

Take the Nissan Navara for instance.

For a vehicle that weighs a shade over two tonnes, it's remarkably easy to maneouvre.

It's also possible to turn it around without breaking into double figures, thanks, in no small part, to a neat full-colour reversing camera.

What's more, driving with one hand and changing gear with the other is also easily accomplished, something that cannot be said of some boneshakers of old.

So far, so good then, but does the Navara cut the mustard in other areas?

Part workhorse, part lifestyle vehicle, it will appeal to a large cross-section of the population and because you can claim back a decent whack in VAT if you put it on your business it will also appeal to the financially savvy.

It goes without saying that space should be a key consideration when choosing a truck like this.

And in terms of load area, the Navara at 2.36m2 is capable of lugging some pretty impressive kit. In the time it was in my possession I transported a garden's worth of paving slabs, carried two sets of fishing equipment, including bags, rods and bait boxes and hauled three mountain bikes and associated equipment with room to spare. A word of warning, though, the tailgate is a substantial piece of metal and so you need to take care when lowering it.

None of the above impinged on the space in the double cab, meaning you can keep the muck and grime in the back and ensure your passengers remain neat and tidy in the two rows up front.

The driver and front seat passenger have plenty of room in which to stretch out and space is not shabby in the rear either, which can easily accommodate three adults.

There are a number of storage areas and everything is very wipedown-able. What's more, the interior has received a noticeable spring clean, with new switchgear, revised door trims, new seat fabric, the addition of chrome highlights and revised dials. It all serves to give the Navara more of an air of quality than it had before. We're by no means talking about luxury car levels of refinement, but all things are relative.

Where the Navara suffered was in the engine department, with the 2.5 litre diesel unit feeling sluggish from the off. Once up to speed this becomes less of an issue, but I had to be certain of the road ahead before committing to overtaking.

The engine is also noisy at start-up and the cabin shakes as it cracks into life, but Nissan must have improved the sound-proofing because holding a conversation does not require the occupants to revert to sign language.

The Navara does have a tendency to lollop down the road and you should not expect it to perform like an SUV, but, that said, it is possible to acclimatise to its foibles to the extent that any frustration is relatively short-lived.

For the more adventurous, there's the option of switching to four-wheel drive and the accompanying low ratio gearbox should give short-shrift to more challenging ground.

In Tekna garb, the Navara is not cheap, but if you need something that offers more than the ubiquitous school run off-roader, then it may just fit the bill. Whether it makes you feel any more of a man is open to debate.