NISSAN's all new Navara workhorse goes on sale next week, designed not only to give its rivals a run for their money, but also to ensure that owners get their money's worth. Prices start from £14,695 (ex-VAT, on the road) for the standard king cab.

The king cab will be available in three varieties: standard, SE and Outlaw. The double cab version provides the same specification names but with the addition of a new range topper with a new name to Nissan, the Aventura. It's Spanish for adventure and, claims Nissan UK, is the best-equipped pick-up ever sold in this country, with a specification to shame a £40,000 sports utility vehicle. Yet this Navara costs roughly half that. For most, though, the pick of this pick-up range will be the Outlaw double cab. It's priced at £18,195, which Nissan says is better value than less powerful and less roomy rivals.

The standard Navara workhorse shares its tall, broad-shouldered styling with the rest of the range. Its trademark 4x4 grille, colour coded for this version, is designed, says Nissan, to signal a sort of "don't-mess-with-me" message. Mess, though, is exactly what this pick-up has been built to cope with. Its part time four-wheel drive system is electrically selected via a rotary dial on the dashboard. There are high and low ratios with the crawl ratio built to provide extra traction particularly on steep descents. Nissan also fits as standard a limited slip differential as well as anti-lock brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution and brake assist. Up front there are twin airbags and a single CD audio system. Plus there's a choice of pillar-less king cab version with rear doors and fold down jump seats, or for £15,745 the crew friendly double cab. A metal guard is fitted to protect the rear window to which tools can also be tied, while a tubular rear bumper allows this Navara to be loaded by a forklift. Both have remote control central locking and an alarm.

Given the standard Navara's utilitarian intentions, the only option is manual air conditioning for £450, or for another £1,400, interested buyers could look instead at the Navara SE.

The SE provides sidebars and chunky chrome back bumper. The front bumper is body coloured and links to a chromed grille. The wheels grow to 17-inches and are the same alloy design used on Nissan's latest sports utility, the Pathfinder with which the Navara shares much equipment including electronic climate control, a leather steering wheel, electric and heated door mirrors, a fold flat passenger seat, and active front head restraints.

What you can also get on a Navara SE (but not on a Pathfinder) is Nissan's innovative utility pack, which for £200 provides an external guard frame for the back of the cab, and five rails to the load bay with fixed points for securing ropes. The utility pack is standard on the Navara Outlaw.

Destined to be the most popular version in the range, the Outlaw is loaded with equipment: automatic headlamps, headlamp wash, rain sensing windscreen wipers, a trip computer, cruise control, front fogs, a six CD auto changer with steering wheel controls and rear dark tinted glass.

This particular truck is out to challenge Mitsubishi, Toyota, Ford and Isuzu rivals, and is considerably cheaper once specifications are compared.

There is a comprehensive list of extras available for the trucks, including DVD satellite navigation, a premium audio system with MP3 compatibility, Bluetooth mobile phone connectivity plus front side and curtain airbags - at least if customers opt for the Outlaw king cab and have a spare £1,700 handy for this aptly named Hitech pack. The Outlaw double cab gets its own £1,375 option pack with an electric glass sunroof, front side and curtain airbags, leather seat trim, and electrically adjustable and heated seats.

Going a long way is one of the £20,995 Aventura's many capabilities. With the Hitech and Premium packs fitted as standard, Nissan reckons that there's never been a more comprehensively equipped pick-up officially sold in the UK. What's more, like the Outlaw double cab, buyers can choose five-speed automatic transmission for £975 making it the ninth of the nine different Navaras.

The Navara can carry 1097kg of whatever and tow a 2.6-tonne trailer, and it also boasts strong green credentials. For example, the four-wheel drive Navara six-speed pick-up is more economical (33.2mpg on the combined cycle) and emits less CO2 (226g/km) than many cars. Of more interest to the building trade, though, will be the Navara's commercial vehicle classification and the news that both versions have the greatest load floor areas in their class: the double cab is 2.36m squared and the King cab is 2.9m squared, big enough to carry 4ftx8ft sheets of plywood.

Dealers: Dixon Nissan, Clifton Moorgate, Clifton Moor, York (01904 695795); Atkin Motor Engineers, Swinton, Malton (01653 693610).

Updated: 11:07 Friday, July 29, 2005