The US pick-up needs to be substantially engineered to meet US legislation and market requirements.

The powerplant will be the 2.2-litre ‘Eagle’ engine but it will come with different outputs ranging from 140bhp to an eventual 170bhp. The diesel hybrid which M&M has showcased at the Expo is also under development for launch in around 2010.

An automatic transmission, essential for the US market, is also under development. To meet stringent safety standards, M&M is developing an ESP system for the Scorpio pick-up (developed by TRW) and the suspension is undergoing an upgrade as well. Airbags in the front will also be standard.

The interiors are also expected to be seriously upgraded following a recent customer clinic in the US, in which potential customers said, “Our tractor interiors are better!” M&M is trying to slash the development time for the W408 to around 21 months.