It's all marketing. They'd rather sell f-150's, there's more profit for them. Those of us not wanting a larger truck will seek out the Ranger or Maverick on our own. 90% us are brand loyal too, F-150 drivers wanting a smaller truck know the Ranger and Maverick exist.
This just might be the best description of the marketing mentality for the small & mid-size market from the Big 3...because it's not just Ford; GM & Dodge do/did the same. Plenty of ads for the Sierra/Silverado & Ram, but I don't really recall all that many ads in my lifetime for the Canyon/Colorado or now-defunct S-10 & Dakota and any others that I may be forgetting; even the Avalanche didn't get that much air time after its initial launch, as far as I recall.
Ok, that is really cool. Thanks for sharing
Additionally, nothing on any cool shirts or hats from Ford Merchandising. Plenty of Mustang, Bronco, F-150, EV, but no Ranger stuff, in spite of Farley's commentary about the Ranger.
Because pickups are now the cool thing to have. SUVs are now the mini-vans, station wagens of the past. And with 4 doors, it's much easier for the guy with kids to convince the budget controller that a pickup is practical purchase, even though it's not and will lead them to financial ruin just to look cool while hauling kids to sports practice. Manly trucks don't have 4 doors.
In North America, Mid- and Compact trucks are sold as "lifestyle" vehicles. More an alternative to a SUV or CUV. Tows the 16' boat, hauls the mulch, take the lawnmower to the shop. Ford, GM and Toyota (not sure about Nissan) all have Fleet programs for the smaller trucks, but it is a very small market.
Because I put dirty and smelly things I don't want in the cab in the microscopic bed but family and friends go in the back.
1) Warden told me to. (Vs. Super cab)
Interesting read! Thanks for posting.Ford needed a factory, and had one scheduled for downtime. As early as 2013, Ford was floating the idea of a resurgence of the Bronco. Under Mark Fields, then CEO, some ideas and renderings started to gel, from a little Bronco ll size built off the South American Ford Troller, which was built off a shortened global Ranger T6 frame in 2014, before the US got the Ranger. Another concept was to use a modified F-150 frame.
Perfect storm.
By 2016, Ford wound down manufacturing in Australia, and the US Focus was discontinued and production ended in the spring of 2018 at Wayne MI, known internally as Michigan Assembly Plant or MAP. Ford already had a "Bronco" in South America (Troller) built on T6 architecture, so the return of the US Bronco on the T6 was a no brainer.
AUS Ranger tooling was packed up and shipped to MAP, and Ranger production began in late 2018 for the 2019 model year. The U275 2022 Bronco was also developed using the Ranger's T6 frame (shortened and widened) and production began in the summer off 2021.
The 2024 6G Ranger utilizes new the modular frame. It has a 2 inch wider track and a 2 inch longer wheelbase, with nearly identical overall length. The front axle is moved forward to make room for a larger cab and to accommodate a V6.
Ranger is still the unloved middle child within Ford NA, Stuck between the F-Series and the popular Maverick, and production of the Bronco is favored over the Ranger, 2,644 vs 12,143 Broncos produced in January 2024.
The 6G Ranger is scheduled to be in production until 2029 (2030MY), time will tell. No facts to back it up, but one scenario I come up with is the Ranger morphs to become a downsized "F100-150" while SuperDuty stays the same. More people are balking at, but still buying, big F150s and this would be a way to take advantage of Ranger's size and cost, and use the magic F-Series name.
Fun to watch.
2014 Brazilian Troller T4
Early Ford Bronco Concepts
Jealous
