Mid-size truck mixup: Ford considering Ranger-sized compact pickup for U.S.

By Ronan Glon Published October 10, 2014

A new report finds Ford is considering returning to the small pickup segment after a nearly three-year long hiatus.

The project is at the embryonic stage of development and it hasn’t been approved by Ford’s top brass yet. However, Dave Scott, the marketing director of the Blue Oval’s truck division, said he is pushing for the introduction of a truly compact pickup that would be smaller than the recently-introduced 2015 Chevrolet Colorado / GMC Canyon duo.

Speaking with USA Today, Scott explained the ideal compact truck needs to be roughly the same size as the 200-inch long Ranger that was axed in December of 2011. The truck needs to be built in the United States in order to avoid the Chicken Tax and it must get about seven miles per gallon more than a full-size model. Finally, the truck should cost between $5,000 and $6,000 less than a 2015 F-150.

Related: Ford’s last-ever Falcon Ute

Ford is still debating whether it’s smarter to design a truck from scratch or to modify an existing overseas model to meet U.S. standards. Either way, the upcoming compact pickup will most likely ride on a unibody architecture for cost and weight reasons.

Putting an end to a long-standing rumor, Scott stressed the body-on-frame Ranger (pictured) that is sold in a host of global markets will not be sold in the United States.

“It’s too big. It’s 90% of the F-150 size,” explained the executive.

A time frame for when Ford will decide whether or not to re-enter the compact truck segment was not given.

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Ronan Glon is an American automotive and tech journalist based in southern France. As a long-time contributor to Digital…

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