AP Source: Ford planning for new small pickup in U.S. - San Jose Mercury News
DETROIT -- Ford is making plans for a return to the small pickup truck market in the U. S. with a new version of the Ranger. The company is negotiating with the United Auto Workers about making the truck at a factory in the Detroit suburb of Wayne, Michigan, a person briefed on the matter said Wednesday. A new small SUV that may be called the Bronco also is under discussion, said the person, who asked not to be identified because the talks are part of national contract negotiations and no agreement has been reached. In the 1990s, Americans bought more than 1 million small pickups every year, attracted by their lower prices, reasonable gas mileage and ability to haul light loads. Sales tumbled when bigger pickups, such as the Ford F-150, caught up in fuel economy. Ford got out of the small pickup market in the U. S. in 2011, followed by General Motors in 2012. But GM has returned to the market, selling nearly 88,000 Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon models this year. Through July, small pickup sales are up 62 percent to more than 211,000, according to Autodata Corp. The smaller trucks, which are more efficient that full-size pickups, could help GM and Ford meet government fuel economy requirements. Source: www.mercurynews.com
