Ford Ranger to be Discontinued

[AWD Chaser]

http://www.autoblog.com/2007/11/20/i...ead-come-2009/

One little fact buried in the linked piece about Ford's $2 billion UAW savings is this: the Ranger is dead come 2009. It has been known for a while that the Twin Cities Plant in St. Paul, MN that makes the Ranger would close, and the closure date has been pushed back one year, to 2009. The Cleveland plant that casts engine blocks will also close that year. Credit goes to Automotive News for teasing out these new nuggets of info.

We wrote earlier about possible rescue scenarios for the Ranger, but it looks like the Ranger mine has been shut down and sealed off. Mulally has said that Ford will be more forthcoming about its plans at the Detroit show, so anything is still possible. However, after 26 years, it looks like the compact pickup truck thrill is gone. For you Ranger fans out there, the tune you're looking for is "Taps."

[Source: Auto News, sub req'd]

[Green X]

The Australian Ranger and Engine for it, is not made it the U.S, so don't know if this will affect us down hear.

[Smoke Pursuit]

HAHA

Ford AUS are rooted if this is the case..

[irlewy86]

Won't be axed in Australia

[pertuan]

Don't our Rangers come from Thailand?

[Polyal]

Their full of BS as usual. Its a well known fact that FoA are helping develop the next one..LOL

Where its going to be built I have NFI, but they have been working on the new one for a while.

[Fairlane]

Yeah thats the American ranger, not our Ranger sourced from Thailand. I think Fomoco in the Us has given up trying to compete in the Jap style ute market and will just concentrate on F-series.

[partzkid]

us models effected only. don't stress. ours are going to exist well into the future


partzkid

[vztrt]

Originally Posted by pertuan

Don't our Rangers come from Thailand?

Built in Thailand, new model is being designed at Campbellfied.

[irlewy86]

So will the replacement be based on the kinetic design?

[GS608]

hope not, i like the look of the current one, they need tough looking utes and pretty looking cars..not pretty looking utes!

[Jason[98.EL]]

one of our service guys has a new ranger an he loves it

he had a rodeo before it and says it craps all over the rodeo in all aspects

ride, economy ect.....

thank god ours aren't the us version

he has recommended it to a heap of people

jason

[aquahead2001]

Is the US Ranger based on the superseeded Courier? Sure looks llike it...

[AusM]

The US is such a different market, but unusual that a 'pickup' is not popular though. Their F-150s still get record sales, whereas here, they're apparently not viable... and where's our F-650?!?

[V8falcons]

Our ranger is a mazda bravo or BT25,with a different grill and badges.

[GS608]

Originally Posted by vctxr6ute

Our ranger is a mazda bravo or BT25,with a different grill and badges.

not quite, whole different front end, lights bumper etc

[Gobes32]

Originally Posted by irlewy86

So will the replacement be based on the kinetic design?

Rumor is it will be big and chunky like Hilux and Navara. Not really a rumor but i remember reading in a ute magazine. Ford Australia will design it but no chance of building it. Imagine a turbo territory dual cab ute? :

[pertuan]

Originally Posted by acosta32

Rumor is it will be big and chunky like Hilux and Navara. Not really a rumor but i remember reading in a ute magazine.

I quite like the look of the HiLux. It looks mean... especially the Arctic Trucks converted ones.

[The Stylist]

Originally Posted by aquahead2001

Is the US Ranger based on the superseeded Courier? Sure looks llike it...

Nope, it's actually based off the old 1st generation Ford Explorer - you know the one that was the centre of all the rollover lawsuits.

Our Courier/Ranger are thankfully unrelated.

[SpoolMan]

Originally Posted by PFdesign

Their F-150s still get record sales, whereas here, they're apparently not viable...

America's Bestseller of 2006

The Ford F-Series has been the best-selling vehicle in America for the past 24 years and the best-selling truck for the past 29.

[AusM]

And in another example of how world markets differ, the UK Ranger has just won a 4x4/SUV magazine best-of award:

In the Double Cab category, Ford’s flagship Ranger Wildtrak equally impressed the judges. Announcing the title, Bob Murray added: “The Ranger Wildtrak is a worthy champion, with its gutsy 3.0-litre engine, fine dynamics, tough work ethic and its sheer value for money.”
Featuring luxury levels of specification, macho styling enhancements and plenty of power, the tough but stylish £20,872 (ex. VAT) Wildtrak is powered by an uprated 156PS TDCi engine and comes with leather seats, electric windows, scuff plates, off-road gauges, six-CD player, parking sensors, air conditioning and an array of styling enhancements.

I guess awards don't necessarily make the car a viable business choice in itself, but it means they are probably on track within the segment...

[zetec]

The UK Ranger is the same as ours...

[XWGT]

Actually thought the Ranger was built in South Africa. The HiLux is Thailand.

And yep its a Mazda BT50 with some mods

[mcnews]

Sounds like it would be smarter to buy the Mazda version and get the better dealer service and support from a more professionally run entity.

[Fairlane]

Originally Posted by mcnews

Sounds like it would be smarter to buy the Mazda version and get the better dealer service and support from a more professionally run entity.

Mazda dont do very good fleet discounts. And I believe but dont quote me that Aircon is standard on Ford, but no in the basic Mazda's. That being said they are made in the same factory and choice would be down to which dealer did the best deal.

[aquahead2001]

Ah the old "has the same name so must be the same car" trick, gets 'em everytime!!!

US Ranger production will most likely cease sometime in 2009, but the Thai Ranger (Manufactured alongside the Mazda BT-50 and also assembled CKD in South Africa and elsewhere) continues on until replaced by the Australian Developed T6 Program.

I wonder if Mazda will also use T6 vehicles??? Also remember T6 will have a single cab, extended cab, double cab and wagon version too (Everest) & may have short wheel base (ala Bronco) version too.

This program is also being considered as a US Ranger replacement and there has been some news about it and another light truck called F-100 in the internet. The F-100 would be a smaller vehicle than the current F-series in the US and it may be based on a lightened f-series platform.

Also see this link for some more current news on the fate of the US Ranger.

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll...358/1148/rss25