According to topspeed.com, the alleged newcomer, which in its previous Fiesta based guise was known as the Bantam in South Africa, will be longer and wider than the South American Courier that ended production five years ago, and reportedly also be offered in both single and double cab bodystyles.

Based on a series of renders released by the online platform, who also claims that Ford will bring the pick-up to the States as the revived Ranchero by 2022, the likely Focus influences will be most prominent inside with the adopting of the same interior design, although the exterior could be skewed towards the US-spec Ranger in production spec.

The Focus underpinnings will therefore also mean that the Ranchero will not offered with the assortment of six-and-eight-cylinder engines it was during its initial production run from 1959-1979, but rather the high-output 1.5 EcoBoost petrol and possibly even the 2.0 or 2.3-litre mills used in the Blue Oval’s other models. For some markets, Ford will also add the 2.0 EcoBlue turbodiesel or even the Fiesta’s 1.5 TDCI in lower spec versions.

While expected to have the market to its own in the States, the Ranchero will face strong competition in its key market of South America from the Fiat Strada/ Toro, the Chevrolet Montana, Renault Duster Orch and the Volkswagen Saveiro as well as the forthcoming production Tarok, while in South Africa, it will provide much needed competition for the first generation Dacia/Renault Logan based Nissan NP200 which has made the segment its own following the abrupt exit last year of the Montana’s locally made twin, the Chevrolet Utility.