Import trucks all have one thing in common. They aren't American. Except cases like the 2006 Mitsubishi Raider pickup, which cunningly claims dual citizenship.

The Raider is of direct relation to the Dodge Dakota. Both roll off the same proud production lines of the Warren Truck plant, just north of Detroit. Both have essentially the same engineering, design and physics. But the Mitsubishi Raider has more than a little hint of import in it. And that's not all bad.

Like the Dodge, the Raider is available is several body styles and with several different drivetrains. Our test model, a two-wheel-drive Mitsubishi Raider Durocross V6 Extended Cab, wore no extra-cost options and cost $24,085, which puts it smack in the middle of the Raider range.

Hey, Good Lookin'
While Mitsubishi's truck shares virtually every major component with the Dakota, the two stand apart because of a softened nose and other buffs made to the Dodge design. The Raider is a hip-looking truck, not an import grasping for acceptance à la the Toyota Tacoma's hood scoop or Honda's hulking Ridgeline styling. And looks are half the battle, right?

Opting for the Durocross package dressed our test model in off-road appearance with larger tires, foglamps, tow hooks, tubular side steps and fender flares. Ground clearance remains at 7.9 inches, which is the same across all Raider models.

The Raider's interior is also a solid American utilitarian design with touches of import sensibility. The gauges are lit with a light green hue amid a flowing instrument panel tastefully integrated into the dash in a manner that tells you a human being thought it out. Plus, the radio knobs don't fall off in your hand, which is always a good thing.

Our base-level four-speaker stereo was a bit of a disappointment, however, as it couldn't do much more than AM radio without flubbing the fidelity. Upgrading to a six-speaker Alpine system runs $1,800. On the plus side, the standard split-bench front seat is comfortable and covered in quality upholstery.

Door handles have a solid feel and decent design. Cruise control buttons reside conveniently on the leather-wrapped steering wheel. Chrome vent bezels and white gauges appease the eye and help establish a logical place for all the controls and features. This truck's interior is almost — gasp! — aesthetically pleasing, an impressive feat in the compact truck class.

In terms of usability, the two rear jump seats rival Braille on a drive-through menu. Even with all four doors open, there's virtually no usable passenger space, but on a dare we did manage to jam a staffer's 6-foot-5-inch brother-in-law back there sideways. In an evacuation scenario, the jump seats might prove valuable, otherwise think of that space as a cargo-only zone. If rear-seat room is your priority, order the Raider Double Cab (crew cab, that is), which adds four conventional doors and a true backseat.

Make Sure You Get the V8
It might not look like a Dakota, but it sure drives like one. In the end, all the styling in the world won't excuse a lack of horsepower, and the Raider's standard 3.7-liter V6 is just plain weak. With only 12 valves and single-overhead cams, it produces a meager 210 horses at 5,200 rpm and 235 pound-feet of torque at 3,600 rpm. And it's just not enough to haul all of the Raider's 4,400 pounds. The engine is refined and smooth, but not strong enough.

Off the line, the Raider Durocross ran zero to 60 in 11.5 seconds and completed the quarter-mile in 18.2 seconds. Yawn. After all, we just got done testing the Tacoma V6 (zero to 60 in 7.8 seconds) and the Frontier V6 (8.4 seconds). The 236-hp Tacoma and the 265-hp Frontier even run faster quarter-miles with 1,000 pounds of sand in their beds than the Raider does empty. Ouch.

For a few extra grand, customers can order up a 230-hp, 4.7-liter V8. Given the V6's performance, you should consider it mandatory, but with the knowledge that the V8's performance didn't blow us away either. We timed a Dakota with this engine at 9.6 seconds for 0-60. In a sneaky move, Dodge kept a little something for itself by offering a high-output, 260-hp version of the V8 on the Dakota that isn't available on the Raider. Mitsubishi does, however, offer a better standard warranty than Dodge, slapping a 5-year/60,000-mile bumper-to-bumper on the Raider while the Dakota comes with 3-year/36,000-mile coverage. Better still, Mitsubishi recently extended its offer of one year of free gasoline to buyers of the 2006 Raider.

Despite its impressive-looking 265/70R shoes on 16-inch aluminum wheels and the rest of the rugged Durocross façade, the 2WD version, of course, has limited off-road capabilities. The Mitsubishi Raider XLS comes standard with the Dakota's V8 and 4WD, but the price shoots up to $33,900, a range at which you might as well start looking beyond the likes of the Raider.

The Raider's four-speed automatic transmission performs well, shifting smoothly and efficiently. At full throttle, however, it changes gears at 5,500 rpm well shy of the engine's 6,000-rpm redline. Usually, this would be a problem, but the V6 makes its peak power at 5,200 rpm, so it's actually smart.

Our Raider was tow rated at 4,000 pounds thanks to its 3.55 gear ratio. The Frontier, seeming to enjoy one-upping the Raider in everything, is rated at 6,300 pounds. The available V8 gives the Raider 5,400 pounds of towing capacity with the same gear ratio and 6,600 pounds at the 3.93 ratio.

Wanted: Four-Wheel ABS
Braking was an even bigger disappointment. The Raider's brake system consists of front 12.3-inch discs with dual-piston calipers and rear drums, and rear ABS is standard on all Raiders.

Although we never got a warning light on the dash, our test vehicle had an ABS malfunction at the track, which allowed the rear tires to lock up during brake testing. Stopping distances suffered accordingly. From 60 mph the Raider needed a little more than 140 feet to stop. The last Toyota Tacoma we tested, which had four-wheel ABS, stopped from 60 mph in just 118. Four-wheel ABS is available only on the top-line XLS, a packaging decision Mitsubishi may want to rethink.

Handling was modestly impressive with decent feedback. The ride was relatively smooth with a boxed steel frame perched upon coil-over independent front suspension.

Body roll is nicely controlled, allowing the Raider to fly through the slalom at 57.5 mph with good stability, only suffering from a weak engine that made it difficult to accelerate through the final cones. The Tacoma, however, snakes through at an even more impressive 58.9 mph.

A Good Look, an Average Performance
This 2006 two-wheel-drive Mitsubishi Raider Durocross V6 Extended Cab is a happy blend of American and import. Styling is sleek, but also functional and slightly rugged. The interior is modern, but not overdone. And the price is right for those who really like the look.

We just can't imagine having a truck with this modest level of power. It just isn't enough to carry out "work"-type chores, and it makes this particular model of the Raider a truck for those who don't really need one.