The Mitsubishi Outlander was originally offered at launch in 2007 with a 2.4-litre petrol engine, Volkswagen-sourced 2.0-litre turbodiesel and a Peugeot-derived 2.2-litre turbodiesel motor. In late 2010, all of these engines were done away with in favour of Mitsubishi’s 2.2-litre DiD turbodiesel that is offered in 156- and 174bhp forms in the Outlander.

It’s refined, punchy and either version will see the Outlander off the mark in good time to 62mph, the 174bhp version needing 9.8 seconds and the 156bhp unit a slightly slower 11.2 seconds. There the option of a six-speed automatic gearbox for the more powerful engine in place of the six-speed manual.

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For the best combination Mitsubishi Outlander performance and economy, we’d go for the six-speed manual gearbox and 174bhp diesel engine.

Most compact 4x4s have evolved into vehicles that are designed more for on-road performance than driving off road. The Outlander is exactly that and is similar to cars like the Toyota RAV4. It has responsive steering, turns in neatly and resists body roll very well. Despite its composure in most situations the ride comfort doesn’t seem to suffer. The Outlander has a dial on the centre console to switch between two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive.

In four-wheel drive mode the front-wheels do most of the work, with the rear wheels only called upon to help when slippage is detected at the front. The dial also has a 4WD lock setting, which is intended to keep the Outlander moving in particularly slippery conditions.