Introduced in 1982, Ford built the last-ever Ranger for the U.S. market at the end of 2011. The truth of the matter is that Ford canceled the Ranger ‘cause Nissan and Toyota took the game higher by adapting the Frontier and Tacoma to mid-size workhorses. Ford’s truck, however, remained a compact, and poor sales reflected that.
Since then, the mid-sized segment boomed and continues to do so. In the eleventh hour, the Blue Oval understood that something had to be done. A decision was made in this sense by confirming that the Ranger will return Stateside sometime in 2018, most probably for the model year 2019.
The company’s ambitions in the mid-size pickup segment extend beyond the United States’ borders, though. FoMoCo has recently announced that the Ranger will be sold in China as well, and just like the U.S.-spec model, the on-sale date is programmed for 2018. It’s not known, however, if the Chinese Ranger will be built in the United States, in Thailand, or in The Middle Kingdom. Thailand is close to China, but based on the fact the Chinese F-150 Raptor is made in the U.S., that may be the case with the Ranger as well.
“We’re very excited to bring Built Ford Tough, one of the world’s best loved and most successful brands, to customers in the world’s largest auto market,” declared Mark Fields, CEO of the Ford Motor Company. “We see a significant white-space opportunity with Chinese buyers increasingly looking for more capable, more refined and more stylish pickups,” he concluded.
There’s a good reason FoMoCo is set on The Middle Kingdom, and that reason is, China is currently the fourth largest pickup market in the world. Another important factor that has helped Ford take this decision is the country’s ongoing easing of restrictions on pickup usage in city centers. Therefore, Ford China can sell the Ranger both as a work truck and as a leisure vehicle.
On that note, here’s what to expect from the 2019 Ford Ranger.
The company’s ambitions in the mid-size pickup segment extend beyond the United States’ borders, though. FoMoCo has recently announced that the Ranger will be sold in China as well, and just like the U.S.-spec model, the on-sale date is programmed for 2018. It’s not known, however, if the Chinese Ranger will be built in the United States, in Thailand, or in The Middle Kingdom. Thailand is close to China, but based on the fact the Chinese F-150 Raptor is made in the U.S., that may be the case with the Ranger as well.
“We’re very excited to bring Built Ford Tough, one of the world’s best loved and most successful brands, to customers in the world’s largest auto market,” declared Mark Fields, CEO of the Ford Motor Company. “We see a significant white-space opportunity with Chinese buyers increasingly looking for more capable, more refined and more stylish pickups,” he concluded.
There’s a good reason FoMoCo is set on The Middle Kingdom, and that reason is, China is currently the fourth largest pickup market in the world. Another important factor that has helped Ford take this decision is the country’s ongoing easing of restrictions on pickup usage in city centers. Therefore, Ford China can sell the Ranger both as a work truck and as a leisure vehicle.
On that note, here’s what to expect from the 2019 Ford Ranger.