Ford Ranger will reportedly get a baby brother, and dealers dig it
Ford reportedly showed the smaller, more affordable pickup to dealers and the reaction was positive.
Ford ditched the passenger car segment to focus on its crossovers , SUVs and pickup trucks , and while the decision left a lot of buyers without more affordable models from the Blue Oval, that's going to change.
On the SUV front, a Bronco Sport will complement the Escape , and for pickup truck shoppers, Ford reportedly has a new entry-level model coming. According to an Automotive News report on Sunday, the automaker showed the more affordable pickup to dealers last month and the reaction was extremely positive.
How affordable are we talking? According to dealers, Ford's aiming for a starting price under $20,000. It could end up being the true Ranger successor as the midsize truck isn't exactly the bargain workhorse many may recall. Then again, rumors point to this new truck as something far less ready for off-roading.
Supposedly, this new pickup will sit on the latest Focus platform, which obviously means this won't be a body-on-frame vehicle and operate in a far less rugged manner. Ford declined to comment for this story, but dealers report the automaker wants the pickup to replace the Focus and Fiesta as a gateway to the brand.
Although dealer sources didn't share finer details, it sounds like Ford is ready to hit the ground running and reportedly plans to build 100,000 of the affordable trucks a year at its plant in Hermosillo, Mexico. If all goes according to plan, we should see the tiny pickup debut sometime next year. In the meantime, Ford's SUV lineup will expand this year with the Bronco, Bronco Sport and the Mustang Mach-E.
