In the past, pick-ups were seen as just a work horse, a vehicle for the manually atuned business. But with production values changing, many buyers are looking for more than the ability to move about a building site. And the manufacturers are keen to provide a more superior build quality and ride.

There are the well-known ones, like the Nissan Navara, Toyota Hilux and the Isuzu D-Max. But here are a couple of others that are worth considering.

Fiat Fullback

The Fiat Fullback is the manufacturer’s first real class-competitive pick-up. The 2.4-litre Mitsubishi engine gives this Fiat decent pulling power, and it can be driven in either 2WD or 4WD on tarmac or off road. The vehicle can also tow up to 4.1 tonnes. The suspension set-up includes a larger stabiliser bar and carefully-chosen damping settings, which allow the Fullback to handle and ride with reasonable comfort and agility.

Inside, there’s a, two-tone black-and-silver dashboard, plus supportive and comfortable seats and decent rear passenger room. It is certainly extremely well equipped, plus it’s backed by the impressive resources of the Fiat Professional LCV dealer network. All this makes the Fullback a strong contender in the growing pick-up segment.

Mitsubishi L200

Mitsubishi has sold over 4.1 million of its L200 pick-up model since production started. The exterior design of the L200 model has striking and vibrant exterior lines to give a more muscular and commanding road presence. At the wheel, you’ll find a driver-centric dashboard that centres attention on the road and includes much of the kind of important equipment you’d expect to see in a premium car.

Mitsubishi have used high-tensile steel extensively in the design of this L200’s cargo bed and this allows it to have the largest carrying capacity in the segment. Thanks to the stiffer chassis, handling is improved and body roll should be kept to a minimum. It is one to consider.

As with all new buys to you, make sure that you give the vehicle a good test drive. Think about why you’re buying it, what is it that you want it to do. Then make sure you put it through its paces in that sort of situation. Then, once you’re behind the wheel, you can fully enjoy the driving experience.