Return of the F-100?
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From: S.E. Michigan
Return of the F-100?
Ford plans to debut small, light pickups
Automaker will revise its lineup with more fuel-efficient trucks to meet consumer demand.
Bryce G. Hoffman / The Detroit News
Ford Motor Co. is planning a major revamping of its truck lineup in the United States in response to rising fuel prices and a consumer shift toward more fuel-efficient vehicles.
The Dearborn automaker is developing a smaller, lighter version of its bread-and-butter F-150 pickup. The company also is designing a new global compact pickup in Australia that it plans to manufacture in South Africa and Thailand that could be imported to the United States.
Ford would not comment on either program, but sources told The Detroit News that the vehicles are part of a sweeping revision of the company's product plan that is aimed at chasing consumers who are abandoning full-sized pickups in favor of smaller, more efficient models. Record oil prices have made big trucks a luxury that few Americans can afford if they don't need one for work. As a result, full-sized pickup sales have fallen nearly 23 percent during the past three years.
That hurts Ford the most, because its top-selling vehicle is the full-size F-series pickup. The F-series remains the best-selling vehicle in the United States, but demand already is down 15.5 percent this year.
Ford has responded by slashing pickup production, but the automaker will also add greener trucks to its lineup.
One coming model is based on a modified F-150 platform. The truck, known internally as P525, will be about 10 percent smaller than the F-150. It also will be significantly lighter, thanks to the use of thinner-but-stronger steel in the frame and more aluminum in the body, sources said.
They said the new truck will incorporate unique storage options and use distinctive sheet metal to set it apart from its bigger sibling.
It will be offered with Ford's new six-cylinder EcoBoost engine, which combines turbo-charging and direct fuel-injection to deliver power and towing capacity comparable to a V-8.
"They're shooting for real good fuel economy numbers," said auto industry analyst Erich Merkle of IRN Inc. in Grand Rapids. "Those are going to be critical."
Ford also will likely offer a traditional, naturally aspirated V-6, as well as a V-8 option.
Ford is weighing a resurrection of the F-100 moniker for the new midsize pickup. The F-100 was Ford's entry-level full-size pickup in the United States until 1983, when it introduced the Ranger compact pickup.
The new truck is slated to go into production in 2011 at Ford's Michigan Truck Plant in Wayne, though sources said a final decision has not been made.
Such a move would justify Ford's surprise decision to keep the factory open -- a concession it made to the United Auto Workers as part of a new national labor agreement negotiated last year.
The plant now produces the super-sized Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator SUVs. Sales of both models have collapsed in the face of high gas prices.
"This truck has the potential to knee-cap the F-150 and become Ford's dominant truck if gas goes to $6 a gallon or higher, which it could by 2011," said analyst Jim Hall of 2953Analytics LLP in Birmingham.
Ford also is developing the T6, a next-generation compact pickup. The T6 will replace the Ranger the automaker now makes in Thailand and sells around the world but not in the United States.
The truck's powertrain options are said to include a four-cylinder version of the EcoBoost that would deliver the power and towing capabilities of a V-6 while consuming far less fuel. It also would be offered with an even more efficient standard four-cylinder. Ford could add diesel, too, if market conditions merit it.
That truck is economical and has been a big hit around the world, but it was not designed to meet U.S. safety requirements. Bringing it to this country would require a massive additional investment, Hall said.
"There was no market for small trucks in the U.S. when that was engineered," Hall said. "You were getting discounted full-sized trucks that were cheaper than compact pickups."
Ford still sells an older version of the Ranger in this country. It is built at Ford's Twin Cities Assembly Plant in St. Paul, Minn., which is scheduled to close next year. That will leave the automaker without a small pickup to sell domestically, at least until these new trucks become available.
Like the P525, the T6 is not slated to go into production until 2011.
In January, Ford announced a major investment in its assembly plant in Silverton, South Africa, to accommodate the new truck.
Once expansion of that plant is complete, Ford says it will be able to produce 110,000 units there annually, three-quarters of which will be for export. The new Ranger also will be built in Thailand.
The United States imposes a 25 percent tariff on imported pickup trucks, but those restrictions are being challenged. Ford also is awaiting a decision on new federal fuel economy standards before giving a final green light to either vehicle.
While Ford had planned to sell only one of the new trucks in the United States, the automaker is now considering selling both models here. That would give consumers a full range of pickup options, from an economical four-cylinder Ranger to the 6.4-liter V-8 diesel-powered Super Duty.
You can reach Bryce Hoffman at (313) 222-2443 or bhoffman@detnews.com.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll...=2008805200362
Automaker will revise its lineup with more fuel-efficient trucks to meet consumer demand.
Bryce G. Hoffman / The Detroit News
Ford Motor Co. is planning a major revamping of its truck lineup in the United States in response to rising fuel prices and a consumer shift toward more fuel-efficient vehicles.
The Dearborn automaker is developing a smaller, lighter version of its bread-and-butter F-150 pickup. The company also is designing a new global compact pickup in Australia that it plans to manufacture in South Africa and Thailand that could be imported to the United States.
Ford would not comment on either program, but sources told The Detroit News that the vehicles are part of a sweeping revision of the company's product plan that is aimed at chasing consumers who are abandoning full-sized pickups in favor of smaller, more efficient models. Record oil prices have made big trucks a luxury that few Americans can afford if they don't need one for work. As a result, full-sized pickup sales have fallen nearly 23 percent during the past three years.
That hurts Ford the most, because its top-selling vehicle is the full-size F-series pickup. The F-series remains the best-selling vehicle in the United States, but demand already is down 15.5 percent this year.
Ford has responded by slashing pickup production, but the automaker will also add greener trucks to its lineup.
One coming model is based on a modified F-150 platform. The truck, known internally as P525, will be about 10 percent smaller than the F-150. It also will be significantly lighter, thanks to the use of thinner-but-stronger steel in the frame and more aluminum in the body, sources said.
They said the new truck will incorporate unique storage options and use distinctive sheet metal to set it apart from its bigger sibling.
It will be offered with Ford's new six-cylinder EcoBoost engine, which combines turbo-charging and direct fuel-injection to deliver power and towing capacity comparable to a V-8.
"They're shooting for real good fuel economy numbers," said auto industry analyst Erich Merkle of IRN Inc. in Grand Rapids. "Those are going to be critical."
Ford also will likely offer a traditional, naturally aspirated V-6, as well as a V-8 option.
Ford is weighing a resurrection of the F-100 moniker for the new midsize pickup. The F-100 was Ford's entry-level full-size pickup in the United States until 1983, when it introduced the Ranger compact pickup.
The new truck is slated to go into production in 2011 at Ford's Michigan Truck Plant in Wayne, though sources said a final decision has not been made.
Such a move would justify Ford's surprise decision to keep the factory open -- a concession it made to the United Auto Workers as part of a new national labor agreement negotiated last year.
The plant now produces the super-sized Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator SUVs. Sales of both models have collapsed in the face of high gas prices.
"This truck has the potential to knee-cap the F-150 and become Ford's dominant truck if gas goes to $6 a gallon or higher, which it could by 2011," said analyst Jim Hall of 2953Analytics LLP in Birmingham.
Ford also is developing the T6, a next-generation compact pickup. The T6 will replace the Ranger the automaker now makes in Thailand and sells around the world but not in the United States.
The truck's powertrain options are said to include a four-cylinder version of the EcoBoost that would deliver the power and towing capabilities of a V-6 while consuming far less fuel. It also would be offered with an even more efficient standard four-cylinder. Ford could add diesel, too, if market conditions merit it.
That truck is economical and has been a big hit around the world, but it was not designed to meet U.S. safety requirements. Bringing it to this country would require a massive additional investment, Hall said.
"There was no market for small trucks in the U.S. when that was engineered," Hall said. "You were getting discounted full-sized trucks that were cheaper than compact pickups."
Ford still sells an older version of the Ranger in this country. It is built at Ford's Twin Cities Assembly Plant in St. Paul, Minn., which is scheduled to close next year. That will leave the automaker without a small pickup to sell domestically, at least until these new trucks become available.
Like the P525, the T6 is not slated to go into production until 2011.
In January, Ford announced a major investment in its assembly plant in Silverton, South Africa, to accommodate the new truck.
Once expansion of that plant is complete, Ford says it will be able to produce 110,000 units there annually, three-quarters of which will be for export. The new Ranger also will be built in Thailand.
The United States imposes a 25 percent tariff on imported pickup trucks, but those restrictions are being challenged. Ford also is awaiting a decision on new federal fuel economy standards before giving a final green light to either vehicle.
While Ford had planned to sell only one of the new trucks in the United States, the automaker is now considering selling both models here. That would give consumers a full range of pickup options, from an economical four-cylinder Ranger to the 6.4-liter V-8 diesel-powered Super Duty.
You can reach Bryce Hoffman at (313) 222-2443 or bhoffman@detnews.com.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll...=2008805200362
Registered User
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 319
If it's just a little smaller than the previous gen F-150 with proper engineering it could easily do everything most city dwellers need for a truck....and maybe just maybe we could get a proper Lightning replacement since it won't weigh 5000 lbs.
Registered User
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 3,180
From: Yadkinville, NC USA
Ford is doing what Dodge did first and GM just did a few years ago...
Killing the compact pickup and putting a mid-size in it's place.
Honestly, the only beef I had with my Ranger was the mileage. For a 2.9 V6 to get 18mpg empty and struggle for 12mpg with a boat behind it was "not good". And it struggled to run 70mph up any kind of hill with the boat too. And the V6 was for economy?!?!
Superduty gets 20 empty, 19loaded, and will fly to 80mph up any hill with the same boat behind it... in overdrive. Again, this is WHY I sold the Ranger and WHY I am such a fanatic about the right truck for the job.
I could be interested in a mid-size, but it MUST have diesel option and it needs to be very capable of "work". If it doesn't get deep into the 20mpg range, it will not bee a success in my eyes, as it must get better mileage than an SD to be viable IMO.
We'll see.
Killing the compact pickup and putting a mid-size in it's place.
Honestly, the only beef I had with my Ranger was the mileage. For a 2.9 V6 to get 18mpg empty and struggle for 12mpg with a boat behind it was "not good". And it struggled to run 70mph up any kind of hill with the boat too. And the V6 was for economy?!?!
Superduty gets 20 empty, 19loaded, and will fly to 80mph up any hill with the same boat behind it... in overdrive. Again, this is WHY I sold the Ranger and WHY I am such a fanatic about the right truck for the job.
I could be interested in a mid-size, but it MUST have diesel option and it needs to be very capable of "work". If it doesn't get deep into the 20mpg range, it will not bee a success in my eyes, as it must get better mileage than an SD to be viable IMO.
We'll see.
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Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 4,600
From: Pewee Valley, KY
Registered User
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,897
From: Greenville, SC
Might as well own a true full size.We need 80's/90's sized compact trucks, not more midsizes with marginal fuel econ improvements over a full size
Registered User
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 13,713
From: The Golden State
So basically, Ford is now making a Dodge Dakota. 
It's ironic. The pickup that Dodge has treated like an unwanted stepchild since it's last remake, and a pickup that Ford has been cancelling redesigns of since the start of the decade are now the types of trucks Ford (arguably the most successful pickup truck maker on the planet) is turning to and finally investing in.
It's ironic. The pickup that Dodge has treated like an unwanted stepchild since it's last remake, and a pickup that Ford has been cancelling redesigns of since the start of the decade are now the types of trucks Ford (arguably the most successful pickup truck maker on the planet) is turning to and finally investing in.
Registered User
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 1,308
From: Calgary
No one else think so?
Registered User
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,502
Read elsewhere that it will be about the same size as the 1997 F-150, so it's probably still in that "full sized" category. The smart thing about this is that it's built on the same lines so Ford can mix+match based on demand.
Also it sounds like the Ranger will come back as an import.
Also it sounds like the Ranger will come back as an import.
Registered User
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 213
This is an interesting vehicle, and I would like to see the F-150 return to the size of the 1980 to 1996 version, but with CAFE and the forecasts of oil prices in a few years, this may be too little too late. I think that eventually most pickup trucks could be replaced by small vehicles like the Ford Transit Connect with a diesel or hybrid.