Volkswagen supplies the 2.0-litre turbo­diesel and its capable of generating 138hp (4,000rpm) and develops 311Nm of peak torque at 1,750rpm. It was joined by a 158hp 2.2-litre PSA unit in October 2007, but for the car version only. The 9,000-mile service interval of the 2-litre gives away its age, but it remains a workman-like engine, helped to a large extent by a sweet-changing six-speed manual gearbox.

In its default mode, Outlander is front-wheel drive, but it’s easy enough to switch to four-wheel drive; there’s a large turnwheel in front of the handbrake lever. Select 4WD Auto and drive is split front/rear up to a maximum of 70/30. Move to 4WD Lock and the split becomes 50/50. There is no low range. Even without a low range set of gears the Outlander manages to tackle some pretty serious off-road conditions.

The load area offers in the region of 2m3 of space and is accessed via the two rear side doors or the rear, horizontally split tailgate. The load floor is flat and goes right up to the partial steel bulkhead and there are four load-restraint rings supplied. The conversion to a van is done in-house by Mitsubishi.