rmc523 Posted June 23, 2017 Share Posted June 23, 2017 But where would they have built it at? The Bronco has been more or less rumored since 2004...just didn't make any sense in the line up till now with gas prices being low Do keep in mind gas prices where still $3.70 a gallon on average in 2014 and the bottom didn't fall out till end of the year. My primary concern with the Ranger now is making it fit into the truck lineup with the F-series styling wise...the mules are still showing a softly styled front end that looks like it belongs on the Edge or Escape vs a "truck". Softer styling may not be a bad thing - perhaps it appeals to a slightly different audience than F-series? And therefore doesn't take as many F-series sales, but takes from other brands/products? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted June 23, 2017 Share Posted June 23, 2017 But where would they have built it at? MAP. I'm just saying that whatever they're doing in 2018 they should have planned to do in 2016, whatever that required. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blksn8k2 Posted June 23, 2017 Share Posted June 23, 2017 My guess is the Ranger is going to be promoted as a "lifestyle" vehicle much like the old Sport Trac was. Just look at the description on Ford's official Ranger website. That sort of goes along with how GM has promoted their mid-size offerings. They are not promoting them as hardcore work trucks and I doubt either manufacturer wants to promote direct competition with their own full-size offerings. Not sure how well this is working out for GM based on their faltering full-size sales but that could also be customers waiting on the next generation of the Silverado/Sierra. As far as Bronco styling, I wonder what the fascination is with the 1973 model year? Technically, the Bronco had the same basic styling from 1966 through 1977. About the only "styling" change in that entire time was the addition of side marker lights and reflectors in 1968. There were some significant mechanical upgrades like optional power steering and auto trans in 1973 and standard front disc brakes in 1976 but no real styling changes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbone Posted June 23, 2017 Share Posted June 23, 2017 My guess is the Ranger is going to be promoted as a "lifestyle" vehicle much like the old Sport Trac was. Just look at the description on Ford's official Ranger website. That sort of goes along with how GM has promoted their mid-size offerings. They are not promoting them as hardcore work trucks and I doubt either manufacturer wants to promote direct competition with their own full-size offerings. Not sure how well this is working out for GM based on their faltering full-size sales but that could also be customers waiting on the next generation of the Silverado/Sierra. As far as Bronco styling, I wonder what the fascination is with the 1973 model year? Technically, the Bronco had the same basic styling from 1966 through 1977. About the only "styling" change in that entire time was the addition of side marker lights and reflectors in 1968. There were some significant mechanical upgrades like optional power steering and auto trans in 1973 and standard front disc brakes in 1976 but no real styling changes. I think the lifestyle strategy is a good approach and the Ranger should not mimic the F150 styling. It should stand alone as it's own vehicle style wise which might help prevent some canabalism. Pricing will be a key element to this as well. As for Chevy/Gmc full sized truck sales, what is really the incentive to buy a new one? It's kind of like the Fusion, with little significant change to entice anyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpd80 Posted June 23, 2017 Share Posted June 23, 2017 (edited) I think the lifestyle strategy is a good approach and the Ranger should not mimic the F150 styling. It should stand alone as it's own vehicle style wise which might help prevent some canabalism. Pricing will be a key element to this as well. As for Chevy/Gmc full sized truck sales, what is really the incentive to buy a new one? It's kind of like the Fusion, with little significant change to entice anyone. If the spy shots and reports are accurate, gM is going alloy body / steel bed on Silverado and Sierra next year (2018). So the next twelve months could see GM's truck sales a little subdues..although the 10-speed auto may give them a nice bump and enough to get through to the new models. Ranger is smaller /narrower enough not to conquest too many F 150 sales, especially if Ford prices it judiciously, there's a nice little price niche just below F150 ripe for the picking, one confirmed by GM and the Colorado /Canyon. I just hope Ford goes after mid sized buyers with the right gas engines, the 2.7 EB looks like the perfect fit and would be unmatched by the competition. Ranger is a cool truck and will act as a counterpoint to the sea of mid sized utilities now flooding the market. Edited June 23, 2017 by jpd80 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blksn8k2 Posted June 24, 2017 Share Posted June 24, 2017 It wouldn't hurt my feelings if the Ranger came out looking more like the current Ridgeline than the current T6. I think the Ridgeline looks more like a Ford truck than the T6 does. The Ridgeline's underpinnings are another story... Too bad we don't have an emoticon for stirring the pot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzzymoomoo Posted June 24, 2017 Share Posted June 24, 2017 It wouldn't hurt my feelings if the Ranger came out looking more like the current Ridgeline than the current T6. I think the Ridgeline looks more like a Ford truck than the T6 does. The Ridgeline's underpinnings are another story... Too bad we don't have an emoticon for stirring the pot. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blksn8k2 Posted June 24, 2017 Share Posted June 24, 2017 Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbone Posted June 24, 2017 Share Posted June 24, 2017 (edited) It wouldn't hurt my feelings if the Ranger came out looking more like the current Ridgeline than the current T6. I think the Ridgeline looks more like a Ford truck than the T6 does. The Ridgeline's underpinnings are another story... Too bad we don't have an emoticon for stirring the pot. NO THANKS! Regarding the 2.7, I agree, that would be a perfect top of the line motor for it. Edited June 24, 2017 by tbone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blksn8k2 Posted June 30, 2017 Share Posted June 30, 2017 Saw this on another forum recently. The discussion had to do with another member of the forum trading his Sport Trac for a Colorado because he didn't like the looks of the current T6 Ranger which apparently meant he had no reason to wait for the 2019 Ranger. When I pointed out that no one other than perhaps Ford knows what the US version of the 2019 Ranger will look like another member posted this... I don't care what the new Ranger looks like. I had a 30 minute discussion with a designer of the new Ranger. He asked me some detailed questions about what I liked about the Sport Trac and what I'd like to see in the new Ranger. I said I'd HAVE to have a power rear window and hard tonneau cover. He said those will be options on the new Ranger. He also said a bed extender will be available. It sounds like it WILL NOT be at all like the econobox that the old Ranger was. He said it'll have most of the features as the Edge or Explorer, except as a 4-door midsize pickup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzzymoomoo Posted June 30, 2017 Share Posted June 30, 2017 Anybody who still thinks it will be the econobox from the 90s is living in dream land Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmc523 Posted June 30, 2017 Share Posted June 30, 2017 Saw this on another forum recently. The discussion had to do with another member of the forum trading his Sport Trac for a Colorado because he didn't like the looks of the current T6 Ranger which apparently meant he had no reason to wait for the 2019 Ranger. When I pointed out that no one other than perhaps Ford knows what the US version of the 2019 Ranger will look like another member posted this... The thing I'd say to that, is that it's probably not a power roll down window like the Sport Trac had, instead a power sliding window. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbone Posted June 30, 2017 Share Posted June 30, 2017 Saw this on another forum recently. The discussion had to do with another member of the forum trading his Sport Trac for a Colorado because he didn't like the looks of the current T6 Ranger which apparently meant he had no reason to wait for the 2019 Ranger. When I pointed out that no one other than perhaps Ford knows what the US version of the 2019 Ranger will look like another member posted this... That person's logic made absolutely no sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blksn8k2 Posted June 30, 2017 Share Posted June 30, 2017 That person's logic made absolutely no sense. Agreed. The only problem is that there is a lot of misinformation floating around and too many people have read or heard that we will be getting the T6 with probably a few minor changes. Hell, for all we know that could be absolutely true. Ford's cloak of secrecy doesn't help that situation at all. Look at any website that has an article about the return of the Ranger and what do you see? A bunch of pictures of the T6. That's all they have to show and, unfortunately, a lot of people only look at the pictures.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PREMiERdrum Posted June 30, 2017 Share Posted June 30, 2017 The new Ranger will be packaged, positioned, and marketed as a lifestyle vehicle. Far closer to the 07-11 SportTrack than anything else domestically that's worn the Ranger nameplate. I posted here about a year and a half ago that there was still indecision as to the name this truck would wear. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blksn8k2 Posted July 1, 2017 Share Posted July 1, 2017 (edited) The new Ranger will be packaged, positioned, and marketed as a lifestyle vehicle. Far closer to the 07-11 SportTrack than anything else domestically that's worn the Ranger nameplate. I posted here about a year and a half ago that there was still indecision as to the name this truck would wear. Since Ford already has a 2019 Ranger webpage I would say that bit of indecision no longer exists. https://www.ford.com/trucks/ranger/2019/ Edit: Just looking at that page it seems pretty obvious what direction their marketing is headed. The wording could easily be transposed into an old Sport Trac ad. Edited July 1, 2017 by blksn8k2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PREMiERdrum Posted July 4, 2017 Share Posted July 4, 2017 Since Ford already has a 2019 Ranger webpage I would say that bit of indecision no longer exists. Right. I'm saying as recently as 18-ish months ago, there were questions based on the expectations of the nameplate vs. what was coming in the new model. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kev-Mo Posted July 5, 2017 Share Posted July 5, 2017 Since Ford already has a 2019 Ranger webpage I would say that bit of indecision no longer exists. https://www.ford.com/trucks/ranger/2019/ Edit: Just looking at that page it seems pretty obvious what direction their marketing is headed. The wording could easily be transposed into an old Sport Trac ad. Where I live in Colorado - the trail head parking lots are Tacoma's and 4Runner's. Looks to me like the website is targeting the Tacoma customer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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