Ford to Continue U.S. Ranger Production "Indefinitely" (April Fools!)
In a stunning reversal and victory for compact truck buyers, Ford says it will not end production of the U.S.-built Ranger pickup truck next year, but instead will continue building the current version of the truck indefinitely and will broaden the Ranger lineup with a new six-cylinder engine and exciting new models.
“We took a long look at Ranger sales over the last two years and the numbers are better than we forecasted. Year-to-date, it’s outpacing 2009’s numbers, selling better than the all-new Flex crossover and is only about 2,000 less units than the recently updated Mustang,” said Ford spokeswoman April Fursten in an interview at the New York Auto Show. “[Ford CEO] Alan [Mullaly] said we be nuts to kill the Ranger in the U.S. because more than 7 million have been sold since 1983.”
In January, Derrick Kuzak, Ford's group vice president of product development, told PickupTrucks.com that the likely replacement for the Ranger was a fuel-efficient version of the Ford F-150 full-size pickup. Kuzak said most Ranger buyers wanted better fuel economy, not a truck with a small footprint.
Kuzak also said that it was unlikely that Ford’s all-new global midsize replacement for the Ranger planned for overseas markets would be sold in the U.S. because other countries don’t have an F-150-size pickup that could cannibalize small truck sales.
The new global Ranger, code-named T6, is being designed in Australia. The current U.S.-built and overseas Ford Ranger models share only their names.
“We were wrong on both counts and we realized it before it was too late,” Fursten said. “We were going to sell the [Ranger] tools and dies to Mahindra to create their next-generation U.S. bound pickups, but that could have come back to haunt us.”
There is one lesson, however, that Ford will carry over from the F-150 to the Ranger to help boost sales even further. It’s going to create several new special-edition models.
2011 Ford Harley-Davidson Ranger
“New for 2011 will be the Ford Harley-Davidson Ranger,” said Fursten. “It proves that big fun can come in a small package, especially if you don't like to ride motorcycles."
The design team for the Ford Harley alliance has code-named it “Piglet” internally.
The Harley Ranger is expected to come with unique 20-inch wheels, a lowered suspension, a rich leather interior inspired by motorcycle jackets and the new fuel-efficient 305 horsepower / 280 pounds-feet of torque 3.7-liter V-6 that debuted in the 2011 Mustang. Only 2,500 will be built and demand is expected to be so high that a special lottery will be held to allocate the trucks fairly to eager Harley enthusiasts.
Fursten declined to comment on what other future models would be added to the Ranger lineup but wouldn’t rule out a King Ranch Ranger as the most expensive small Ford pickup ever created.
“A King Ranch Ranger could appeal to urban cowboys looking for a better image in today’s environmentally friendly times,” Fursten said.
APRIL FOOLS!!
Comments
april fools?
April Fools!!!
I sure hope they bring back the Ranger Splash!!!!!!
nice try mike!! APRIL FOOLS!!!!
@ Mike - this must be the scoop you were eluding to?
This is big news.
Great to see Ford wise up and decide not to hand the compact truck market over to Toyota.
How about a Raptor lite?
Put the 5.0 Mustang engine into the Harley Ranger.
Ford needs a crewcab Ranger wtth a 5.5 - 6 ft. box.
The Tacoma is the only crewcab compact I like, and it costs almost as much as an F150.
Way to go Ford.............
Craaaaaaappppp - I fell for that one. Good one.. Good night..
I have been checking this site all day for an April Fool's joke? Well, you still owe us the killer story.
@Dave: *This* is a killer story! ;-)
You half had me going into the Harley Davidson edition, I mean seriously.....
Well maybe FoMoCo will read this and decide to change there mind on ending production. Good one, you had me going, hook, line and sinker.
you had me going there mike. Good one. I'm a little dissappointed this was just a joke, even though I'd never buy a ranger.
You got my hopes up so high...i forgot about april fools day...now i am depressed.
Definitely April Fools, but the H-D version rendering looks bitchin'! :)
You had me going, I started thinking wait a minute when I saw the thing about selling the tooling to Mahindra and then figured out what was going on when you started talking about a Harley Davidson Ranger lol.
Too bad Ford doesn't smarten up and redo the Ranger, it sells well around here.
ohhh Emmm Ghee!
That's awesome. The Ranger's a great truck. I have 200,000kms on mine and not a single thing has gone wrong with it ...not to mention the brake life is off the charts!!!
The only real contender...the Tacoma...is way way way overpriced and imo a very light duty truck.
A king ranch would be nuts. bringing back an updated extended range EV packaged in Ranger clothes? Lets see, in-wheel motors, regen braking, regenerative shocks, and a solar panel for a roof. I like it. Dropping a small 2.2l ? diesel in the ranger? Hmmm, who wouldn't want a 40 mpg small pickup?
The thing I liked was the statement that people want an economic small pickup. That is correct even if it is the first of April.
That Harley edition Ranger would be nice, lets hope Ford is not pulling our leg as I want one of those.
Ya know Mike, even tho this is an April fool, your suggestions don't sound half bad. I never understood the mindset to kill the Ranger and still don't. Its a great little truck and I use mine to get to fishing spots that an F-150 can't even traverse. Ford should either stick with the current frame and update it or bring in an all new model. Fuel prices are sneaking up again and with that, the market for the new Ranger makes more sense then ever. I feel Derrick Kuzak's logic is flawed when he says most persons who buy a Ranger can get by with an economy car? I bought a Ranger for the gas mileage, its trail abilities and to haul stuff with. Try to do that in a Focus..
HEHEHEHE Just enough credibility to be a great April Fools joke.
April Fursten strikes again.
HAHAHAHA!!! Knew it when I saw the Tweet. Excellent!
The sad thing is it makes sense.
Too funny. Knuckleheaded mahindra fanatics are nervous. :)
http://mahindratruckforum.com/forums/mahindra-truck-articles/1105-ford-continues-ranger-improvements-mahindra-beware.html
That was too good Mike. Good joke, too bad theres not King Ranch or Harley Ranger that sounded great and with the new V6 too bad thats not goanna happen.
FORD!!!!! you can have it!!! all the fords i ever owned that went over 3 yrs started to nickel and dime me. and that is with regular maintainance.
I hope this is no joke, Toyota needs some competition folks!!!
That's a good idea Mike, I hope Ford is reading.
Thanks for the laugh.
Google is now Topeka.
ShOOT! Never mind the April Fool's joke...I'm going to customize a Ranger to look like that...just take a Ford Ranger STX or slap a MazdaTruck B-Series bed on the Ranger and throw some 20's on it. I ain't kidding...if I don't do it, then I want to see it done!
Ya, to bad this isn't real! what a teaser. crew cab diesel eco-boost engine would be nice in a ranger but no we can't have that.
Too bad this is a joke. The Ranger is a great compact truck, but it's really sad that Ford hasn't done anything to "freshen" it. The Harley Davidson model would also be a nice addition.
You guys suck...
Don't play with my mind. I want a new Ranger!!!!!! Don't want no water downed F-150.
lol well played
Love the Mustang v6 and Harley thing, too bad we can only dream!
Hey Ford, the Ranger has become an April Fools joke. Come on - let's get crackin'.
@mike
You did have my hopes up their for a second. Ford is definantly making a BIG mistake in killing the Ranger and the Crownvictoria
@mike
Why can we not get the crewcab ranger thats in mexico?
@drew - good question. I would think that under NAFTA the chicken tax would not apply. I suspect that is how Dodge is able to make Ram HD's in Mexico.
@ Drew: Ford could easily produce the Ranger if it wanted to. Minnesota taxpayers are giving Ford millions in tax breaks to try to keep the St. Paul plant open, safety scores on the Ranger are still competitive with Ranger beating Tacoma and Colorado on IIHS roof-crush tests (It got an "Acceptable" where Toyota got "Marginal" and Chevy got "Poor"), it's sold across the American continent, and is a respectable, well-known compact truck.
The problem is that Ford arrogantly believes that the F-150 is good enough to take most of the hardcore Ranger buyers and Focus is good enough to take home the rest. Ford's logic is working like this:
1. Compact truck market is dying.
2. That means that all the people that used to buy compact trucks have just started buying something else.
3. Ergo, the rest will likely fall into other camps if we stop selling compact trucks entirely.
4. So why not kill the Ranger? Its buyers will just buy F-150s and Focuses anyway, and those are easier for us to build and reduce the number of models in our line we have to engineer and develop.
Basically Ranger is dying for the same reasons Bronco and Aerostar died. SUVs and fullsize trucks took away the bulk of minivan, off-road SUV and compact truck sales and Ford is chasing the easy money. Killing the Ranger is typical Ford thinking.
I do believe that for all the right moves that Ford has made in the last years - Ranger is the one that is just waiting to be made. Come on Ford. Make Ranger the leader it should be.
I'm in the market for a new small pickup. The Tacoma is too big,the Frontier i don't like & the Colorado is a piece of junk.
Widen the Ranger by 3-4" & make a crew cab model.
With the new 4 cyl engines on the horizon & new V-6's already here,freshen up the ranger and FORD would have a winner. Are you listening FORD we need the Ranger.
Sad part is, we want this stuff, but Ford wont pull its head out of its ass........
What part of "I dont need or want the F-150" is so hard for them to understand? The hauling and towing capabilities of the Ranger and other midsize trucks these days accomidate me quite well....... and I dont see the need of a 1/2 ton pickup that needs steps built in to it so i can access the bed.......
I'm on my 3rd Ranger, and they have all been great...... I also bought a new Escape in 08..... it is great also.....I plan on driving my current Ranger (04 x-cab, 4.0,4X4) for many years to come, BUT IF FORD KILLS THE RANGER AND ARROGANTLY TRIES TO FORCE ME INTO SOMETHING I DONT NEED WHEN REPLACEMENT TIME COMES, MY MONEY WILL BE BETTER SPENT ELSEWHERE.......
Nice April Fools – you definitely had me. I definitely sensed some disappointment from other users. Don’t fret – with Ranger, Colorado, Dakota in limbo, at least Mahindra is coming to our rescue with two compact pickups. With one added benefit: clean diesel technology. Finally!
So with all of the complaining about ford making bad decisions and that they dont listen. Could the fact that they dont listen to people about a truck be why their stock has made me sick money over the past year and they did not require a government bailout?? Give it up, Buy a big kid truck, The mini truck scene went out with the jerk..
I have a wonderfull suggestion , Ford should build a Ranger work truck ,no frills except maybe AC 2 wheel drive , basic nuts and bolts and retail for around 12, 000. OOPS I am dreaming again I forgot we are all million -aires !
Your to late lol I made my own Harley ranger not bad if ya ask me black on white paint job with Harley pin striping orange on gray. limo smoked windows, Italian leather 1"inch dash wrap padded. And door pads as well. Fine leather wraped seats simalar to the explorer Eddie bower style seats all black. Black velvet style Italion leather headliner custom chrom on white Gage's including pillier Gage's. 22" inch flip down tv surround sound. Flip up slide back 24" power moon roof. Over sized custom chrome side mirrors with built in turn signals and logos. And and many other fancy secrets. It take ford years to figure out how to trick out a ranger the way I did it. Sorry no photos you'll just have to be lucky to see it on the road. Don't do shows did it for my own pure fun.
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