Sadly, Ford and Ram do not have a mid-size pickup on the US market to offer, and we know that they could get decent sale results. At this moment this segment offers market currently offers the Tacoma, Canyon Colorado, Frontier, and the unibody Ridgeline. Now the time has come for these manufacturers that back in the day wandered out of this segment are eagerly trying to get back in, especially the Ford.
On this topic, Mike Manley the head of Ram Truck made a statement saying that a possible revival of the Dakota is “an opportunity for the brand” that they shouldn’t miss. When it comes to Blue Oval company, we heard from a few sources that they are planning a return to the market with the Ranger. Justo Armando y Belgrano, the New Programs project leader over at Ford Argentina is apparently the make-or-brake person that will decide the faith of US-spec Ranger. Since Belgrano is managing and leading the build events for the “New Ranger (P375 ICA)” he hinted that if everything goes according to plan, this pickup is slated to start production in 2018 for the 2019 model year.
Ford North America did some work that laid the foundation for Ranger’s arrival to the US, and that is reflected by signing an agreement with the United Auto Workers. According to that deal, Ford is moving its Focus and C-Max production from Wayne, Michigan to Mexico, to make room for the 2018 Ford Ranger and the all-new Bronco that is scheduled for 2024 launch. As you know, the production of Ranger was stopped in 2011 for the 2012 model year, and that happened thanks to the financial crisis that hit the United States hard at the end of the 2000s. At that point, many automakers had to make hard decisions that some time later turned out to be wrong as it was the case with Ford and the Ranger Pickup. But the crisis wasn’t the only thing that led to the discontinuation of this model. Apparently, the arrival of EcoBoost engines in the F-150 for the 2011 model year made many of the Rangers prospective customers switch over to the bigger and more capable F-Series full-size trucks.
But that was all in the past, and thanks to the GM’s risk on smaller trucks (Colorado and Canyon) paying off, Ford Motor Company is eagerly waiting to take a piece of that cake with its, probably packed, new Ranger. As you know, General Motors’ mid-size pickup trucks are available with a Duramax diesel engines which will surely compel Ford to modify Rangers European market 3.2 L TDCi engine for the US-spec one.
