There are few commercial vehicles that cross the business divide and gain recognition in the wider public psyche. Ford's Transit is one example, leading the way in a mass movement of tradesman (and tools) that has become as much a part of the landscape as the Premiership and Tikka Masala. And Toyota's Hilux is another. Whether in this country, were it dates back to 1972 or abroad, where it has backed revolutions, shipped drugs and saved lives. What we have here is the sixth generation version, complete with 2009 facelift, which adds a restyled exterior, tweaked suspension and larger brakes, while the D-4D 3.0-litre version (producing 169hp) gets a five-speed transmission to replace the previous four-speeder. Prices start at £13,995 for the single-cab HL2 120 and rise to £21,795 for our all-singing, all-dancing test vehicle, the automatic Invincible. While the addition of an extra cog wasn't going to produce any revelation in terms of fuel consumption, it did lift the figure from 30.1mpg to 31.0mpg for a laden run, while unladen saw it creep up to 35.0mpg from 34.5mpg. In the rear a payload of 1,075kgs stands up well, while the load bed dimensions work out at 1.0m cubed. The Hilux also provides arguably the best cabin in the class,from the driving position, which is commanding without being overbearing, to the clarity of the control layout, the it avoids any pick-up clichés. On the move the suspension tweaks are impressive producing possibly the most confident riding pick-up on-road. While off-toad no matter what the conditions are thrown at it, it remains unruffled, digging in with confidence, while the suspension does a good job of soaking up peaks and troughs without transferring the action into the cabin. Contributing to this effectiveness is the 3.0-litre engine. Full of torque and urgency, it offers more than enough power to get up any gradient without stressing, allowing you to concentrate on staying on track. If we had to pick a machine to go into battle with, or just off-road, the Hilux would be at the top of the list.