Small Focus based unibody Ford truck coming?

[lilkia]

I think they already make the focus sized pickup for the global market. I see a lot of little ford pickups that look similar to your pictures running around down here in S TX with mexican tags on them. Ill try and grab a pic of one. Of course I see a lot of toyota hilux diesels and newer old beetles down here too.

 

[DaveInDenver]

I think they already make the focus sized pickup for the global market. I see a lot of little ford pickups that look similar to your pictures running around down here in S TX with mexican tags on them. Ill try and grab a pic of one. Of course I see a lot of toyota hilux diesels and newer old beetles down here too.

What truck is that? The smallest truck they show on their Mexican website is the Ranger. Same with Australia and the UK. I would have expected it to be a Transit Courier variant perhaps but those only look to be vans.

 

[Todd780]

I think they already make the focus sized pickup for the global market. I see a lot of little ford pickups that look similar to your pictures running around down here in S TX with mexican tags on them. Ill try and grab a pic of one. Of course I see a lot of toyota hilux diesels and newer old beetles down here too.

I think a few years back they were building a Ford Courier in South America. Production ended in like 2013.

 

[Martinjmpr]

I think a few years back they were building a Ford Courier in South America. Production ended in like 2013.

I was in Costa Rica in 2011 and I think I saw the Ford Courier there. It was basically like a mini Ranchero based on a car (or more accurately, like a Dodge Rampage or VW pickup, both FWD car-based light pickups.)

 

[lilkia]

I was in Costa Rica in 2011 and I think I saw the Ford Courier there. It was basically like a mini Ranchero based on a car (or more accurately, like a Dodge Rampage or VW pickup, both FWD car-based light pickups.)

The old dodge rampage is maybe a better resemblance. It may be a ford courier. If I see one today Ill get a pic.

 

[Clutch]

I think having a unibody Ridgeline-like vehicle makes perfect sense. Toyota does something similar in their SUVs, overlap two vehicles of similar size targeted at slightly different markets with the 4Runner and Highlander as well as the Sequoia and Land Cruiser (although less distinctly since the big trucks are body-on-frame and share some parts).

My point would be Ford could easily target a Ranger for people who want a truck for utility and more off road and another for people who need 4WD for snowy roads. Those people don't benefit as much from a ladder frame or transfer case. A lot of complaints of Tacomas when compared to a Ridgeline as the ride and height. I think it's unfair to lump them into the same class just because they have an open bed and are similarly sized. They aren't really that similar otherwise.

I'd absolutely love Toyota to see the light and offer a Hilux and Tacoma side-by-side. One no frills, the other with Tech Packages and sunroofs. The next logical step for the Tacoma is independent rear suspension after all, right @Clutch?

At the very the least believe the Tacoma should get a linked coil sprung axle out of 4Runner. Really no need for leafs in a lifestyle truck.

Though when I say IRS...I am meaning something like this. And not Honda Ridgeline.









I hear you on the HiLux being sold side by side with the Tacoma. At least as an experiment to see which sells better.

Have moto bud in Australia, he has UTE, can't remember the manufacture, Holden maybe?....but it lays down something like 300-400 hp. Uses it to haul dirt bikes to the trail head mainly...and rather quickly. Not sure why uni-bodied Utes are more popular in one market and not another.

Perhaps because here in America we like the appearance of looking manly? Why so many scoff at the Ridgeline and Subaru Baja, though the bed in the Suby was fairly useless, maybe if it was a 2D they would of sold more?

Ford used to offer the AUS Falcon RTV with a rear locker and raised suspension.

Looks pretty capable to me. Won't do much for the viagra crowd in the looks department though.

 

[justbecause]

At the very the least believe the Tacoma should get a linked coil sprung axle out of 4Runner. Really no need for leafs in a lifestyle truck. I hear you on the HiLux being sold side by side with the Tacoma. At least as an experiment to see which sells better.

Toyota has no incentive to improve the tacoma. It has been one of the most poorly speced mid size trucks in the USA for decades and it still out sells everything else.

 

[Clutch]

Toyota has no incentive to improve the tacoma. It has been one of the most poorly speced mid size trucks in the USA for decades and it still out sells everything else.

Mainly because it had no competition for so long.

If sales start slipping with the new competition, all Toyota has to do, is bring the HiLux over.

 

[Deleted member 9101]

You guys missed the part where Ford never said that they were going to sell it in the US.

 

[Clutch]

You guys missed the part where Ford never said that they were going to sell it in the US.

Can't imagine it selling very well here.

 

[Deleted member 9101]

Can't imagine it selling very well here.

Meh... all depends on how they build it. If they toss in an EcoBoost, stick shift, and AWD it will probably sell.

My guess is it's for foreign markets.

 

[ExplorerTom]

to be fair, this is possibly the most poorly named section on portal. 1, its confusing, why include "full size and other"? 2, what is domestic? Built in the USA? thats the tacoma, tundra, titan, a line of hyundia, mercedes, subarus, hondas. F series trucks were built in mexico for years, its welcome here, silverado was built in canada....

It should really be titled “anything other than any of the globally recognized overlanding platforms”.

Notice how the Land Cruiser gets its own section with an additional section for smaller Toyotas. Yet the Tundra seems to be specifically excluded from either of those so it would seem the Tundra is actually at home in this section.

And “domestic”..... Domestic to who? This is a world wide forum. Someone checking in from Zimbabwe is going to be excited and then disappointed when all they see are foreign cars in this section. Yes I know this forum is dominated by US users, but still....

 

[Grassland]

Agreed. I found GM was / is bad for that too. Chevy has the Trax, Blazer, Equinox, Traverse...

If Ford kept the Explorer more of an SUV type SUV instead of the crossover it turned into, I could see having a Flex and an Explorer. But, when the Explorer went FWD / Crossover, they should have just killed off the Flex.

Explorer is to be going back to RWD with a transfer case I heard.
3.3 GDI V6 and an EcoBoost for motors.
I'd assume still unibody.

 

[marshal]

Explorer is to be going back to RWD with a transfer case I heard.
3.3 GDI V6 and an EcoBoost for motors.
I'd assume still unibody.

Explorer now shares the Aviator platform. RWD longitudinal mount driveline. 3.3, 2.7 and 3.0 ecoboost motors available

 

[DaveInDenver]

It should really be titled “anything other than any of the globally recognized overlanding platforms”.

Notice how the Land Cruiser gets its own section with an additional section for smaller Toyotas. Yet the Tundra seems to be specifically excluded from either of those so it would seem the Tundra is actually at home in this section.

And “domestic”..... Domestic to who? This is a world wide forum. Someone checking in from Zimbabwe is going to be excited and then disappointed when all they see are foreign cars in this section. Yes I know this forum is dominated by US users, but still....

The part that localizes "domestic" is the " full-size" part I imagine. A pickup most places means Hilux, Ranger, Navara, Triton. The import of those created the compact and full-size categories here. But Ford/GM/Dodge haven't often exported big personal trucks (what prior to the 1980s we just called pickups). I've usually assumed full-size to most people outside of North America probably is a lorry.