Big deal?

Over there, the F-150 pick-up tops the charts, with more than six sold for every Focus we buy. A few examples of the revised Double Cab will reach Britain through specialist importers - but will America's favourite be a hit here?

The first thing you notice about the F-150 is its size. Even compared to the previous model, which was huge by our standards, the Ford is enormous. It feels vast on the road, and rear visibility is poor, so reversing manoeuvres are difficult. And it's not great going forwards.

The F-150 has a traditional live axle and leaf spring arrangement at the rear, although the dampers are adjustable. It soaks up bumps well, but there's still a lot of bounce. The 5.4-litre V8 is gutsy, though, and the four-speed auto is far smoother than most US self-shifters. Big improvements have been made in build - the cabin materials are much better - but the seats are too wide and flat.

While Ford has no plans to bring the F-150 here, expect to pay ΂£30,000 or so at an importer. That's about ΂£10,000 more than it costs in the US, but still competitive with other large SUVs.