Ford Says Ranger Won’t Take A Bite Out Of F-150 Sales

According to Ford, bringing the Ranger back to North America will by no means impact sales in a significant manner for their full-size pickup truck, the F-150.

In fact, Ford’s president of global operations, Joe Hinrichs, stated that “The F-150’s gotten bigger over time and more expensive. We believe there’s room now to slot the Ranger in very nicely in the showroom.” The first Rangers should become available in January of next year.

“There always will be some substitution, but this is more of a lifestyle vehicle for people who want to use it for different purposes,” added the Ford exec.

The new Ranger is priced from $25,895, including shipping, and can set you back more than $40,000 if you go for the top spec, similar numbers to those of the segment-leading Toyota Tacoma, but more than what you’d pay for a Chevy Colorado or a GMC Canyon, which are priced from $21,495 and $23,095 respectively.

Back when the old Ranger was still being sold in the U.S., it was regularly among the segment’s top sellers, and even held the no.1 spot in 2004. Ford routinely sold more than 300,000 units per year in the 90s, before sales began to drop in the early 2000s, reports Automotive News.

The good news is that customers have yet again begun looking at midsize pickup trucks, a segment that has gone up 18% so far this year, after a mere 1% increase in 2017.

“We’re very excited about the growth we’re seeing in the midsize segment. We believe bringing back the Ford Ranger will add to that excitement and get more interest in that segment,” concluded Hinrichs.