We've been begging for better small trucks from automakers for some time now, and it looks like Ford may have an answer for us. Pickuptrucks.com reports that Ford may revive the F-100 name on a new mid-size truck built on a modified version of the future F-150's platform. Rumored to be a little less than 9/10th the size of the F-150, the F-100 would also feature extensive use of aluminum to save even more weight. Unlike the Ranger, which shares no parts with the F-150, the proposed F-100 would share many and be built on the same assembly line as its big brother. Ford clearly needs a solution for the upcoming change in CAFE standards that will required a fleet average of 28.6 mpg for light duty trucks by 2015, and an F-100 offering an EcoBoost twin-turbo V6, a naturally aspirated V6 and V8, and possibly even a diesel could do the trick.
As for what will happen to the Ranger if an F-100 is added to the line up, no one knows for sure. Believe it or not, but the Ranger still sells having moved 7,585 units in April and 29,182 year-to-date. Whether or not those numbers are high enough (or whether they're predominately sales to fleets) to keep it alive for much longer remains to be seen, but its presence in the market place satisfies a need for small, relatively fuel-efficient pickups. We don't see an F-100 filling that role, but rather competing with larger mid-size trucks that are predominantly powered by V6 and V8 engines. So we hope that Ford sees the value in a redesigned Ranger, even if the rumored F-100 comes to market.
[Source: Pickuptrucks.com]
As for what will happen to the Ranger if an F-100 is added to the line up, no one knows for sure. Believe it or not, but the Ranger still sells having moved 7,585 units in April and 29,182 year-to-date. Whether or not those numbers are high enough (or whether they're predominately sales to fleets) to keep it alive for much longer remains to be seen, but its presence in the market place satisfies a need for small, relatively fuel-efficient pickups. We don't see an F-100 filling that role, but rather competing with larger mid-size trucks that are predominantly powered by V6 and V8 engines. So we hope that Ford sees the value in a redesigned Ranger, even if the rumored F-100 comes to market.
[Source: Pickuptrucks.com]
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