Ford USA - Ranger and Bronco Return?

[Anthony]

I can't speak for the US, but the demand in Canada for small/mid-size pickups is extremely low right now.

The sister dealership to the one I work at is a GM place, and they're delivering less then 10 Colorados/Canyons per month, most of which are sold for commercial use. Tacoma sales have been on a steady decline for the past 3 years as well. Think our market is lost to full-sizers until gas prices go through the roof again.

 

[CodeRedR51]

The BT-50 and Ranger, Titan, Colorado are still huge. I get people asking me, are Mazda going to make a smaller ute like the old B2500. These things are bigger than K-series Chevys.

Nissan Titan? It's a full size truck, you need to think Frontier/Navara.

 

[05XR8]

Nissan Titan? It's a full size truck, you need to think Frontier/Navara.

Titan is a Mitsubishi here edit: Tritan

Navarra is the NIssan

Oh, and one more thing. dont buy a Ranger. or BT-50. Those things have bulletins from front bumper to rear bumper. so many things wrong with them. Can't wait for Mazda to cease selling them. They really are hurting the brand no matter how much they sell.

 

[niky]

The bumpers are fine.


It's the turbocharger gaskets that really suck.

 

[05XR8]

I'd so much prefer downsizing to make it back in today's car world.

 

[CodeRedR51]

Ford considering bringing Ranger pickup back to the US

 

[YSSMAN]

Jalopnik has been saying Ranger and Bronco, and I don't know how much I buy it.

Ford's gotta be careful to protect sales of the F-150, but I don't think they want to cede too many potential sales to Chevrolet, Toyota, and Nissan with their big small trucks. So, what's a brand to do? Bring something over that some people want to use some capacity that you'll have left over. Okay.

I guess for me, they'd have to make it worth it. And with the F-150 kicking off at $26k, how low would they have to go on the Ranger? Or, for that matter, how much more premium would the F-150 need to become? Wouldn't that just hand sales off to the Silverado and Sierra, that aren't threatened by the Colorado and Canyon at all?

 

[niky]

If they produce it there, they could possibly have a stripper four pot in for under $20k. It'll be slow, but it'll be there. But the engine that's just big enough for America is the 3.2 five-pot, which would still cost near $30k, I believe.

 

[Leonidae@MFT]

It's too big to be a Ranger..

 

[AnthonyD1993]

I wonder if they'll consider bringing a diesel along if it comes stateside.

 

[Adamgp]

That probably depends on how well the diesel Colorado does.

 

[Joey D]

I wonder if they'll consider bringing a diesel along if it comes stateside.

With the planned option for a diesel in the Colorado and Tacoma, Ford would almost have to sell it with a diesel to compete.

I know I'd be really interested in a double cab, 6ft bed, 4x4, off-road spec Ranger with a diesel engine and a 6-speed auto.

 

[Slash]

Ford is talking about bringing back the Bronco.

Although it will likely be based on the Ranger like the Bronco II.

Links everywhere.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...gh-returning-bronco-ranger-production-to-u-s-

 

[IforceV8]

I could see Ford using the engines from the Transit line of vans for a Ranger.

Engine type 1.6L EcoBoost I- 3.7L Ti-VCT V6 3.2L I5 Diesel

HP (SAE net@rpm) 178/5700 275 @ 6000 185 @ 3000
Torque (lb.-ft.) 184/2500 260 @ 4000 350 @ 1500-2500​

 

[Slash]

Ford LHD evaluation vehicle spotted. Based on the new Ranger.

 

[GTPorsche]

Those "mid-size pickups really are the same size as older full-sized trucks.

But I can't help but be distracted by the green.... thing. What the hell is that?

 

[Slash]

Those "mid-size pickups really are the same size as older full-sized trucks.

But I can't help but be distracted by the green.... thing. What the hell is that?

I agree. New mid sizes are the size of our 3/4 ton. And that thing is massive.


That green thing would be the 2018 Bronco prototype. Notice the front grille horizontal bar. Apparently that says FORD and the front end is similar to the original.

 

[CodeRedR51]

What's the source on that? I doubt they would be parading around in an uncamo'd prototype.

 

[Northstar]

Was that picture even taken in the U.S.? Because the green thing is a Troller, which is a product of Ford Brazil.

 

[GTPorsche]

Oh, then that makes even more sense. Use a small Brazilian suv to hide the fact that it has future Bronco components in it. No need for camo as it's a mule and no one will notice because no one even realizes what it is to begin with.

 

[Slash]

Oh, then that makes even more sense. Use a small Brazilian suv to hide the fact that it has future Bronco components in it. No need for camo as it's a mule and no one will notice because no one even realizes what it is to begin with.

Seriously how I see it.


I'm willing to be the Troller facelifted is what we get as a Bronco.

 

[CodeRedR51]

Seriously how I see it.


I'm willing to be the Troller facelifted is what we get as a Bronco.

I hope not.

In any case, the truth about car camo is not to hide the car but to make it stand out. Nissan could go out on the town in a facelift 2016 Altima with no camo and nobody would notice or care. But if you go out covered in it... Probably their tactic here.

 

[Northstar]

Oh, then that makes even more sense. Use a small Brazilian suv to hide the fact that it has future Bronco components in it. No need for camo as it's a mule and no one will notice because no one even realizes what it is to begin with.

The Troller isn't road legal in the U.S. though.

Something just seems odd about the picture. I have a feeling someone just saw a Troller parked near a Ranger somewhere in Brazil, didn't know what it was and assumed it must be a Bronco concept.

 

[GTPorsche]

The white truck is the new Ranger. Ford could be driving the Troller in the states with a manufacturer exemption for testing purposes. Lots of manufacturers do that for extreme weather testing for cars that are never sold in the US.

 

[niky]

You won't be using a Troller to test new components for the Ranger. Firstly, because it's not road-legal in the US, secondly, because it is a fiberglass-bodied off-roader that shares no chassis components with the Ranger... merely drivetrain parts.

If that was taken Stateside, then they're evaluating the Troller, or perhaps using it as a (styling) benchmark for the Ranger-based Bronco.

 

[GTPorsche]

Doesn't have to be road legal if it's the manufacturer using it. The Ranger was tested in the States prior to the current generation going on sale in it's world markets.

 

[mustafur]

I highly doubt the Troller is a Mule, you would see atleast some minor clues of that with differences from the original.

Imo if a Bronco is going to happen it will Essentially be a 3 Door Everest, with some F-150 Petrol engines slapped on.

 

[RocZX]

Ford's UAW Contract Reveals A Ranger And Bronco Built In America

And today, when the details of that proposed contract became public, it included some interesting tidbits: namely the return of the Ford Ranger and a new Ford Bronco for the U.S.

Here’s The Detroit Free Press outlining the relevant (to small cheap truck fans) details on this proposed agreement:

The new product investments include a commitment by Ford to bring its Ranger midsize pickup back to America and to revive the storied Bronco nameplate. Both would be built at the Michigan Assembly Plant which will stop making the Ford Focus and C-Max families of vehicles there in 2018.

Production of the Bronco is expected to start after the Ranger and no later than 2020, according to a person briefed on the agreement who was not authorized to speak publicly.

TruckYeah.Jalopnik

 

[YSSMAN]

Someone in the comments on that Truck Yeah snarkily made this comment:

Bronco will probably by a FWD-based mini-ute a la Jeep Renegade...

Which, honestly, doesn't bother me. I'd love to see a reinterpretation of the Bronco II to go head-to-head with the Renegade, as its probably a safer spot in the market than going directly for the Wrangler. Plus, I've always had a soft spot for the Bronco II.

 

[Pupik]

In a market where the Edge and Explorer are pretty much the same vehicle, I don't foresee success with a Bronco just being another two-box SUV, unless it's designed and marketed as a Jeep Wrangler (JK/TJ) alternative.

A tough market to just jump into without a lot of patience - the Jeep name has tons of cache.