If your Ford Bronco fever has already chilled out since last week, Ford would now like to direct your attention to the rumoured compact pickup based on the Ford Bronco Sport likely to be introduced next year.
Some people think the modern Ford Ranger is too large compared to its older namesake models from before 2012. To appease those people, Ford is rumoured to be working on a new sub-Ranger compact pickup truck, and a new product presentation may hint that it’ll make its debut in 2021.
The slide of a Ford presentation was discovered by Muscle Cars And Trucks, and it shows the Ranger, Bronco, and Bronco Sport, along with a hidden “whitespace” vehicle for 2021. A whitespace vehicle is a new product introduced in a new or uncontested segment.
Traditionally small pickup trucks have all but left the Western market, as their nameplates have expanded over time to mid-size offerings. So perhaps Ford perceives the “compact pickup” market as wide open for the taking.
A new compact Ford pickup was previously reported to be expected to start under $US20,000 ($28,546) for the base model. This suggests Ford plans to replace the compact Fiesta and Focus sedans and hatchbacks, as well as some of its other smaller nameplates that it’s decided to remove from some global market, for a compact pickup instead. It’s not such a bad idea.
Roadshow reports some dealerships have already seen and loved Ford’s plans for the new compact truck, and U.S. trademarks could suggest the truck would be called the “Ford Maverick.” Ford has used the “Maverick” name on badge-engineered crossovers on the global market for decades, as well as an older sedan. Ford declined to comment on Roadshow’s report.
It’s also possible a Ford patent for a convertible pickup design could be for the new compact offering, but let’s not get too excited just yet.
The new one is expected to share Ford’s C2 platform, which is under a lot of the brand’s global cars. However, the Maverick would likely have much more in common with the Ford Bronco Sport’s version of the setup. Ford reportedly plans to build up to 100,000 of the new compact trucks per year alongside the Bronco Sport at the automaker’s Hermosillo, Mexico production plant.
That’s so many new trucks.