So Will There Be a New Ford Ranger? “No.”
Can we haz a new Ford Ranger? Nope.
It’s reason enough to start getting excited about a future model when a high level exec affirms that it’s something that an automaker has been kicking around. Thusly, people were understandably enthused when Ford Trucks Marketing Manager Doug Scott told USA Today’s James R. Healy that the company was “looking at” bringing a small pickup akin to the ol’ Ford Ranger back to the fold in the U.S.
In theory, it’s a pretty spiffy idea. GM has been garnering a lot of interest with the relaunched Colorado and Canyon, and the market seems to be shifting in such a way that small pickups could become viable options for consumers once again. The idea, according to Healy’s article, would be for Ford to build a “true small pickup” with unibody construction (yep, just like the Ranchero) that would be distinctly different enough from the fullsize F-150 that customers would not be so easily persuaded to get a bigger (and more expensive) model.
Leave it to Jalopnik to get to the bottom of matters, contacting Scott and inquiring as to just what “mulling” constitutes for the future of a new Ford Ranger (or Ranchero). The answer, as it turns out, is distinctly less optimistic.
So is there a new Ford Ranger (or, god willing, Ranchero) on the table? In a word from Scott: “No.”
In more words from Scott:
“We are continuing to invest in and expand our F-Series lineup for the North American market and are confident that our new F-Series addresses the needs of the U.S. pickup buyer. Additionally, our Transit Connect lineup addresses the needs of buyers looking for utility in a compact size.”
Of course, Ford has invested enough in overhauling the 2015 F-150 that it’s reasonable to believe that the company wouldn’t want to spread buyers so thin with a smaller truck. Whether Ford’s line on a small pickup ever changes remains to be seen, but it’s certain not to happen any time soon.
News Sources: USA Today, Jalopnik
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