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Ford Unibody Pickup “Set To Begin Testing In the Near Future”

We’ve been hearing Ford plans to go unibody with their next pickup truck, sporting the C2 vehicle architecture from the all-new Focus. According to “sources familiar with the project,” the Dearborn-based automaker “has commenced work” on developing the compact workhorse.
2019 Ford Focus Wagon (European Model) 87 photos
Photo: Andrei Tobosaru for Ford Romania
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Ford Authority claims that design and engineering have started “several months ago,” and the first test mules are “set to begin testing in the near future.” Looking back, it took the Blue Oval more than a year to decide on launching such a product by 2022, including in the U.S. of A.

The saga started with a report from Automobile Magazine published in July 2017, claiming that the newcomer would replace the Courier in Brazil. The motoring publication also made a case for bringing back the Ranchero nameplate, which dates back to December 1956.

America’s most iconic utility coupe was produced throughout seven generations right up to 1979, then Ford Motor Argentina developed its own Falcon-based Ranchero. This fellow was available with a diesel between 1988 and 1989, then went out of production in 1991.

Whatever Ford will call the newly proposed pickup, there’s no denying it will share some of its underpinnings with the Baby Bronco. As for the oily bits, the six-speed manual and eight-speed automatic from the Focus Mk IV are the most likely candidates.

The engine lineup will definitely feature an EcoBoost option in the United States, either the 1.5-liter turbo three-cylinder or 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder. A downtuned 2.3-liter EcoBoost might be somewhat of an overkill, especially if you remember the Ranger comes with this engine.

“The upcoming small, car-based Ford pickup truck will be introduced in the 2021 calendar year as a 2022 model” according to Ford Authority. On that note, do you prefer between Courier and Ranchero?

We’re definitely up for Ranchero, more so if the pickup will share styling elements with the Baby Bronco mentioned a few paragraphs earlier. If the off-road technology from the half-brother of the body-on-frame Bronco trickles down to the unibody truck, then all the better.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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