[King T]

Originally Posted by snizzle

Anyone feel GM waits on industry trends set by *ehem* others *ehem* and shows up late to the party?

They all do it at some point or another. Ford is watching to see how the sales of the Colorado/Canyon are going to do and then decide if they want to bring their global Ranger to the U.S.



Global Ranger Could Be Right Size for U.S.

Ford had a plan when it pulled the Ranger off the North American market last year. It all made sense to kill the Ranger off without offering up a comparable replacement, especially since sales had been sliding for over a decade. Instead of introducing the new T6 Ranger, the same one that 180 other countries around the world gets, Ford bet on Stateside in-market owners to take the step up into the full-size F-150. However, there was a minor issue with that strategy. Those looking to replace their old Ranger aren't taking to Ford's plan. Instead, some are looking to other similar-size offerings from Toyota and Nissan while others are hanging on to what they have.

Even with dwindling sales, the Blue Oval Boys were subjected to an excess of criticism and that's still being heard a year later. Ford staunchly defended its decision to axe the Ranger in the United States and Canada, though, while stating that hopes were high for the global version. This only added insult to injury for those who couldn't get their hands on a new Ranger. Making things worse, Ford tested the Global Ranger's durability, altitude, and towing capabilities in the States. Even still, the Dearborn-based automaker reiterated that sagging sales as well as a similar chassis size and price tag to that of the F-150 led to the decision of excluding the new Ranger from its North American lineup.

It's no secret that the midsize pickup truck segment is shrinking, with only the Toyota Tacoma and Nissan Frontier currently available in North America, but reinforcements are rumored to be on the way. The redesigned Chevrolet Colorado has been confirmed to live on in North America and is supposed to resurface later this year. With this announcement, General Motors has a golden opportunity to pick up the top-selling midsize pickup mantle left behind once the North American Ranger exited the market. Ford hasn't said whether the Ranger will return or not but whispers say it will see how GM fares once it releases the Colorado back into the wild. For midsize pickup shoppers, who are notorious for picking a truck that best suits their needs instead of going bigger just because, this is a good sign.

There's no denying that the North American midsize pickup truck segment is currently experiencing a reduction in size. In-market owners don't have much to choose from when it comes time to replace their ride. No matter what Ford thinks, Ranger owners have already shown they aren't willing to make the jump into the F-150. So it appears we have a stalemate for the time being. Ford won't budge on bringing the Global Ranger to North America and midsize pickup owners won't migrate into something bigger. A possible return date for the Ranger could arrive soon after Chevrolet launches the redesigned Colorado though as Ford may want to see how its crosstown rival fares.