JCB has given its biggest 8000-series tractor range the Stage 5 emissions treatment and modified the suspension to match that of the smaller 4000 models.

The firm’s engineers have refrained from bolting a big dustbin-style DPF to the side of the cab, instead sitting the box inside the storage locker below the offside rear door. 

Wholesale changes to the suspension arrangement on the 8000 Fastracs mean these models now feature a hydro-pneumatic, double-acting setup on all four corners.

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It means the tractor can actively put downward pressure onto individual wheels to maintain grip.

Previously, there was a coil and dampener system on the front and a hydro-pneumatic on the rear.

The active suspension, which features bigger hydraulic rams than the 4000 models, reduces the need for front ballast, says JCB.

For example, if the weight of an implement starts to pull the back of the tractor down, then the rams can compensate by lowering the front and raising the rear to keep the machine level.

Prices for the updated 8000 models start at £203,474 for the Fastrac 8290, while the 8330 comes in at £210,171.