Ford has announced that they will discontinue the US-spec Ranger in 2011, while also releasing a teaser of a new Ranger for the rest of the world.

The Ranger’s death in the US is due to a number of reasons. Firstly, the new car is too close in size to the F-150, and Ford believes that most American customers will choose to spend a little more money for the larger car. You may think that they should’ve just taken the F-150 global and did away with the Ranger everywhere in that case, but Derrick Kuzak, Ford’s Vice President of Global Product Development, said “That ten-percent size difference does make a difference. Right-hand drive is required in the rest of the world and other regulations, both safety and emissions, impacted that decision.”

Secondly, the compact truck segment has been declining in America over the past several years. In 1994, it made up eight percent of the industry, but now, it stands at just two percent. This hasn’t stopped the Ranger from selling very well though, with around 75,000 units sold a year. However, Ford has conducted research which tells them that the Ranger is bought mainly by people looking for the cheapest, most economical Ford. With the recent arrival of the cheaper Fiesta though, Ranger sales will likely plummet, and for those still looking for a compact work truck, the Transit Connect is available.

The last reason is the recent launch of the new, more efficient F-150 drivetrain options. While no fuel economy figures have yet been revealed, they will likely be much better than the 24.5 mpg the Ranger gets, while having much greater capabilities.

The Ranger will be missed, but we all saw its death coming many years ago, with its last significant upgrade done back in 1993. Let’s hope that Ford can make up for it elsewhere in the range.

As for the rest of the world, the picture at the top is a teaser for the new Ranger they’ll be getting. It has been designed in Australia, and will be revealed at the Australian International Motor Show in October.

Press Release

Ford lifts disguise on all-new Ranger for its worldwide premiere in Sydney

• Bold, powerful and confident, the all-new Ford Ranger makes its world debut at the Australian International Motor Show in Sydney. The new face of Built Ford Tough for compact pickup truck customers in 180 markets around the world, Ranger is the result of an all-new global compact truck platform developed in Australia
• Ranger delivers an enhanced pickup ownership experience with more power and excellent fuel economy from a new engine family, more capability than ever with exceptional towing and payload capacity, and new levels of driving quality
• The show also marks the Australian debut for the amazing Ford Focus RS, which is poised to establish a new benchmark for performance. Only 315 examples of the sought-after hot hatch will be sold, and the show may be the best place to lay eyes on one standing still
• Ford is expanding the Fiesta range with the introduction of the new Fiesta sedan, making its first appearance in Sydney
• New from Ford Performance Vehicles, the GS and GT break cover at the Sydney show with unstoppable performance

SYDNEY, September 20, 2010 – Ford is preparing to take the wraps off a comprehensively redesigned, new-generation compact pickup developed in Australia for sale in 180 global markets. The worldwide premiere of the all-new Ford Ranger is certain to be the big news of this year’s Australian International Motor Show, where it will be unveiled on October 15, 2010.

The all-new Ranger is the latest in a wave of global products driven by the ONE Ford strategy. Designed and engineered at Ford’s Campbellfield product development and Geelong proving ground facilities, and based on a new global compact truck platform, Ranger has been transformed to assert true pickup truck leadership.

“Australia has played a leading role in the development of this latest global Ford product,” said Joe Hinrichs, president, Ford Asia Pacific and Africa. “Ranger is symbolic of how our great product development capability is being leveraged by the ONE Ford plan like never before.”

The taut, toned new design of the all-new Ford Ranger establishes a powerful presence on the motor show stage. It will be the first time for the public to see the next-generation Ford compact pickup without its camouflage.

New Ranger prototypes – disguised under heavy black padding, tape and decals to obscure their true identity – have been shot by automotive spy photographers all over the world, as development units clocked more than 1 million kilometres of testing in the toughest conditions, from the Outback to the deserts of the Middle East to the Alps in Europe.

Now, under the lights at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, the covers will come off to reveal a dazzlingly contemporary new look for the future of Ford Ranger pickup truck capability. It makes a powerful promise – backed by Ford’s Australian and global expertise – to owners around the world.

From impressive gains in power and fuel economy – the result of its new engine family – to outstanding pickup truck capability that includes exceptional towing and payload capacity, the next-generation Ford Ranger emerges as a clear segment leader. It not only builds on the tremendous Ranger heritage of capability, but it also gives owners a spacious, comfortable, feature-filled interior and sophisticated driving experience that they would expect only from a car.

The wait is over: Introducing the hot Ford Focus RS
There’s even more big news from Ford at the show, which marks the introduction in Australia of the renowned Focus RS.

The buzz of excitement surrounding Focus RS has been growing since Ford announced recently that it would be offering a limited number of the legendary hot hatch for sale in Australia.

With only 315 Focus RS models being made available to the clamouring enthusiast community, the Sydney show may be the best place to lay eyes on one. First introduced in Europe last year, Focus RS has won a host of motoring awards and widespread critical acclaim for its outstanding combination of high-performance road car technology and everyday Focus practicality.

“The show will be a great opportunity to see the car that’s set to spawn a whole new generation of performance car enthusiasts,” said Marin Burela, president and CEO, Ford Australia.

The hot-performing three-door hatch boasts a turbocharged five-cylinder engine that develops near V8 performance levels with 224 kW (305 PS) of power and 440 Nm of torque.

Blowing the covers off the new GT
The Ford performance story will also continue at the show, with Ford Performance Vehicles (FPV) launching its first-ever supercharged V8 engine to be fitted to its hero GT and new GS model ranges.

The new engine is based on the lightweight Mustang V8 but has been developed locally for FPV’s Falcon-based performance models.

FPV’s supercharged models join its turbocharged six-cylinder F6 range in Australia’s most respected high-performance model lineup.

Ford Fiesta range to expand
Visitors to the Australian International Motor Show will see the debut of the newest members of the Ford Fiesta range, with the new Fiesta sedan and diesel models making their appearance.

Available in both diesel and petrol versions, the four-door model will add to Ford’s successful Fiesta range and is expected to introduce even more new customers to the Fiesta lineup.

“Fiesta has been extremely successful in Australia,” said Burela. “Since its launch in early 2009, Ford’s share of the light car segment has grown from 4.7 percent to 8.3 percent. We fully expect that the new sedan and diesel variants will attract even more new customers to the Fiesta range, along with the availability of the new 1.6-litre PowerShift automatic transmission.”

Visitors to the 2010 Australian International Motor Show can experience the exciting lineup of Ford vehicles, along with a host of interactive activities for motoring enthusiasts and families, from October 15-24 at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Source: Ford and Autoblog