Report: Ford May Wind Up Building, Selling Ranger in United States
The new Ford Ranger may come to America after all
Ford officially unveiled the new Ford Ranger earlier this year, and the question stuck on the lips of pickup truck enthusiasts in the United States ever since has been: yeah, it’s great, but are we getting it here?
Well, today, it looks like the answer may have changed from “No” to “Yeah, sure, why not.”
According to The Detroit News, sources close to Ford say that there are plans to bring production of the Ranger pickup to Michigan Assembly Plant. Ford and the UAW are said to be in negotiations with the Wayne, Michigan plant in 2018, pending an agreement between the union and the Ford Board of Directors.
It makes enough sense in the scheme of things; Ford is discontinuing production of the Focus and C-MAX in America (moving it down to Mexico in 2018), leaving a need at Michigan Assembly and for its 4,500 workers. It also makes sense from a business perspective, as mid-size pickups have been mounting a comeback with the popularity of GM’s new models.
“There’s a real hunger for midsize trucks right now,” Karl Brauer, senior analyst for Kelley Blue Book, told Detroit News. “Once upon a time, there were a lot of midsize trucks in this market. The ones that are available are cashing in on the demand.”
Ford announced that it will be building the Ranger in Nigeria in addition to Thailand, Argentina, and South Africa. Whether the Ranger or its off-road-oriented Wildtrak variant makes the leap stateside remains to be seen, but the prospect is certainly looking much brighter.
News Source: The Detroit News
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