By Igor Holas
04.17.2008
Much has been written about the folly of allowing the venerable Ranger wither on the vine and lose its sales crown to Toyota’s Tacoma. Many writers, editors, and bloggers took it upon themselves to come up with new and innovative ways to call Ford shortsighted and use the Ranger’s demise as a case in point that Ford is in the fast lane to bankruptcy. However, behind the scenes, Ford is readying a duo of new trucks to be released in the wake of the Ranger’s demise, and is also planning an ultimate return of the Ranger to the US market.
Internal sources have recently confirmed that the Ranger will be discontinued after the St. Paul assembly plant is shut down next year. We also had it confirmed that, at least for several months, Ford will not be producing any truck smaller than F-150 in North America, and will be just selling down inventory of already-built Rangers. However, Ford is not to be absent for long in the mid-size segment.
Our sources indicate that for the past decade, Ford has been working on a new mid-size truck. This truck was to answer the competition’s move from truly small trucks to something bigger – about the size of an old F-150 – offering more space, better ride, more capability, and more power. The new truck under development was to be released several years ago, but it fell victim to the changing of the guard among Ford’s top brass and the volatile product development plans. The project moved to and from the back burner several times as Ford shifted its attention to more “important” causes. As a result, not only did the Ranger miss the move from small to midsize trucks, it was left on the market way past its expiration date, and will leave the scene without a direct successor. Luckily, however this new truck is finally again settled on the front burner and will be released in the fall of 2010 as the 2011 F100 midsize truck. It will be built alongside its bigger brother in the Michigan Truck Plant.
The new Ranger built in Thailand will not become truly global and will not be sold in North America
The underpinnings of this truck are familiar – a shortened and lightened F¬-150 frame with numerous shared components. The truck will copy Dakota with a V6 and V8 engine lineup, but position its V6 engine as the key power plant – restricting V8 to limited-volume trims. The truck will be a little bigger than its competition with dimensions just slightly smaller than the 1998 – 2003 F150. Unlike the Ranger, the F-100 will finally include a true five-seating double-cab, upscale version of which will serve as a Sport Trac replacement.
This new truck platform will spawn one more vehicle: a new Ford Bronco. Secretly (until now), Ford has been preparing an answer to the success that is the Wrangler, and the threat that is the Hummer H4. The Bronco will stay true to its original roots and be a capable off-roader with two solid axles, true 4×4 and a truck frame. After the 2004 Bronco concept which was built on the Fiesta platform, many diehards were worried the Bronco would become a soft-roading lifestyle SUV for the urban youth market. While I and some others saw potential in this move, it seems Ford is playing it safe with the Bronco name and affixing it to a true, rugged off-road capable SUV. Like the Wrangler, the Bronco is to feature a removable top and folding windshield. It could debut alongside the F-100 in 2010, or a little later.
The Bronco is to make an honest return to its off-road roots. Ford is aiming at the Wrangler and the upcoming Hummer H4 with this new truck.
Finally, by the end of 2012, the Ranger is scheduled to return to the US showrooms. Last year, the F-100 was evaluated as a potential global replacement for the Ranger, but it was not awarded this prestigious position. Instead, Ford’s Australian branch was tasked with developing a brand new small truck platform dubbed T6. Unlike the current “Thai” Ranger or the upcoming F-100, the T6 “Global” Ranger is to return to its humble compact roots. The size will be very close to the current North American Ranger, and it might even shrink. The result is to be a one world-beating small truck that is happy to run on four-cylinder power. This new truck is to replace all the different Rangers around the world, along with the Bantam, Courier, and other locally-designed Ford compact trucks. While 2012 is a ways away, the T6 Ranger is being developed with US sales in mind.
So here you have it folks. Ford will discontinue the Ranger next year – it will happen. However, within a year, Ford will replace it with the F-100, add a new Bronco, and about a year after that revive the Ranger as what it is today – an honest, humble, hard-working compact truck without any pretense.
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A good idea, however I suggest then Ford should bring other drivetrain options like a diesel engine (a stroked version of the 2.7L V6 Ford-Peugeot for example or the upcoming 4.4L V8) or the Ecoboost V6 or even a Ecoboost 4-cyl.
Also, it could be interesting to bring the Courier, currently offered in Mexico.
They’re bringing back the F-100 model name? Now that is very cool. I like that.
I wonder if we’ll see a pickup version of the Transit in the future. Or maybe a half-cab version?
I’m glad they’re finally paying attention to the Ranger, but Ford lost a lot of sales lately since they’re selling a small truck that has basically not been updated for 25 years.
This is a very good move for Ford, although honestly a few years late.
As the competition build larger viehicles, the Ranger was simply too small to compete in it’s segment. The extended cab was too small to actually put people in the back, and the quad-cab was marketed as an explorer, not a Ranger, with a very limited cargo area.
I presume this means the Mazda version is dead as well?
I sold my Extended Cab Ranger and bought a Mustang, it has more interior room and gets better milage.
Like the Taurus, the Ranger was allowed to slowly die on the vine with no updates, etc. But the Ranger has been neglected for even longer than the the Taurus was. All the money and all the energy went to the SUV and full-size truck models at Ford, and now they’re paying heavily for that neglect of the rest of the line.
This is not the first time I read about future chassis.
As I’ve understood Ford want to make van, SUV and pick-up truck on new chassis.
What will we get? New is th well fogoten old.
New Aerostar, F100 and Bronco…
With same chassis, engines, trannies, and other parts.
Ok! Waiting for new global products.
Wow, still trying to make sense of the last comment.
I understood it completely and it was brilliant and insightful.
OK…. KILL THE CHICKEN TAX and import the AAT built Mazda BT-50/Ford Ranger. No need to develope a new chassis for a new global mid size truck. Why waste the money? Mazda already engineered the truck and it has been greatly accepted in Europe, Australia and SE Asia. It is available with a 3.0L I-4 Turbo Direct Injected Deisle, a 2.5L I-4 gas and a 4.0L gas engines.
The BT-50 was a slightly modified version of the current ranger. It is not even close enought in performance or improvements to what is needed to make Ford a product leader.
Ford will exceed their sales projection for this truck, mark my words! Gas is not going to go down in price, only up! People still need trucks and many of those people don’t need a big truck, so, voila, the Ford Ranger.
Bronco – same thing!
I’m hoping for a 4′x8′bed with a 4 cylinder diesel.
I can’t wait to buy another Bronco. I will be the first person in line at my Ford dealership to buy a Bronco. I love my 05 Ranger, but by then it will need to be replaced. Can’t wait.
Its about time FORD brought out the concept Bronco it showed at the car shows 4 years ago. It was a great retro styled vehical. The right size and it looked very well thought out.
I need a truck, but like some of these other posts, I don’t need an F-150, so I would like an updated Ranger to choose from. I beat the living hell out of the last one I had and then replaced it with a used F-150, which is fine in terms of reliability but as I said, it’s too big for what I need.
Ford, like GM, is a patheic mess. By the time they get their act together it will be too late! A perfect example is the 2009 F150. Anyone who studies long term trends of gasoline costs would never have come out with an even bigger truck (crew cab) and then brag about 1 mile more per gallon. Ford is obviously far removed from the majority of consumers so I would not hold my breath waiting for these morons to come out with a successful F100 or any other truck that will match the needs of non-commercial truck users. Move on folks – Ford is dead.
I wonder what the tow capacity on the new F100 will be.
Personally, I can’t wait, and will be ready to use my Ford Z Plan when those lil darlings show up at the Ford House.
Go Big Blue Oval!!!