First reported by automobilemag.com in July last year before a subsequent article by topspeed.com and ultimate spotting of a heavily disguised prototype masquerading as a van in December, Ford Global Market President, Jim Farley, has revealed that the Blue Oval would indeed be re-entering a segment it abandoned in 2013 when sales of the Fiesta-based Courier, known locally as the Bantam, ended in South America.
According to Automotive News, Farley made the announcement at the Deutsche Bank Global Auto Industry Conference in Detroit earlier this week, reportedly stating that Ford is “investing in more affordable versions of our truck business”.
While reports have eluded that the newcomer might revive the iconic Ranchero name, Farley has hinted that this might not be happen after allegedly saying that “you can expect new nameplates below where we compete today”.
Unlike the Courier, the ‘Ranchero’ is set to be underpinned by the same C2 platform as the Focus, meaning it will come powered by a selection of four-cylinder EcoBoost engine and possibly the brand’s EcoBlue turbodiesel for export markets as opposed to the original Ranchero’s range of six-cylinder and V8 mills. As per current reports, the newcomer is only expected to debut in 2021 or 2022.
RENDERS by Kleber Silva
