VW Amarok Canyon at Geneva 2012

Comfortable with khakis and work boots, they're usually sensible enough to avoid the tutu and frou-frou of concept car bolt-ons.

So VW has been sensibly restrained in giving Amarok ute a style makeover for Geneva. The Amarok Canyon is supposed to inspire believable outdoorsy lust, specifically around freestyle kayaking. For most purposes, you should ignore the carbon fibre watercraft bolted into the tray and concentrate on the features that could conceivably make it onto a 'tough truck' special.

The Canyon sits higher and wider than the production Amarok, with its body lifted 40mm with a kit, and massive 275/65 R 18 all-terrain tyres raising it another 45mm - and forcing the wheel housings to be widened by 35mm. Side tread plates give you a step up into the Canyon, and then retract to allow for better offroading angles.

It carries the Amarok's 2.0-litre biturbo diesel engine with an identical 400Nm of torque but the power boosted 12kW to 132kW, getting it to all four corners with the Volkswagen '4MOTION' all-wheel drive system, standard rear differential lock and off-road gear reduction.

The cabin gets a two-tone leather fit-out and extra instruments to show climbing and tilt angles. Exterior kit includes a row of roof spotlights, black wheels and roll bar painted in 'Adamantium' - the fictional substance responsible for Wolverine's claws - and an orange body paint job that should be easily spotted by rescue helicopters.

For the most part, it wouldn't look out of place - and could take pride of place -- at any rural rodeo. Unfortunately, while the design department was realistic about the concept car, the marketing office went into overdrive with a puff piece asking you to picture an eager drive to a mountain canyon and into the adventurous promise of wild river rapids.

Wasn't that the opening scene of Deliverance?