Sport Trac To Be Replaced In 2011 By F-100 Small Pickup

[TrainTrac]

Reading the article cited by John D in a previous thread and clicking related links on that page led me to a couple of rumor-articles about the supposed forthcoming F-100. Bear in mind, Ford has not released anything official yet. These are just rumors.



This one is dated April 17 (which, ironically enough, is the birthday of the Mustang). I'm surprised no one here caught this sooner. We could've asked the Ford folks at Louisville about this.

The Ranger is Dead--Long Live the Ranger



The Ford Ranger will take a short holiday



By Igor Holas



04.17.2008



Much has been written about the stupidity of letting the venerable Ranger wither on the vine and lose its sales crown to Toyota's Tacoma. Many writers, editors, and bloggers took it upon themselves to come up with new and innovative ways to call Ford shortsighted and use the Ranger's demise as a case in point that Ford is in the fast lane to bankruptcy. However, behind the scenes, Ford is readying a duo of new trucks to be released in the wake of the Ranger's demise, and is also planning an ultimate return of the Ranger to the US market.



Internal sources have recently confirmed that the Ranger will be discontinued after the St. Paul assembly plant is shut down next year. We also had it confirmed that, at least for several months, Ford will not be producing any truck smaller than F-150 in North America, and will be just selling down inventory of already-built Rangers. However, Ford is not to be absent for long in the mid-size segment.



Our sources indicate that for the past decade, Ford has been working on a new mid-size truck. This truck was to answer the competition's move from truly small trucks to something "bigger"-- about the size of an old F-150 offering more space, better ride, more capability, and more power. The new truck under development was to be released several years ago, but it fell victim to the changing of the guard among Ford's top brass and the volatile product development plans. The project moved to and from the back burner several times as Ford shifted its attention to more "important" causes. As a result, not only did the Ranger miss the move from small to mid size trucks, it was left on the market way past its expiration date, and will leave the scene without a direct successor. Luckily, however this new truck is finally again settled on the front burner and will be released in the fall of 2010 as the 2011 F100 midsize truck. It will be built alongside its bigger brother in the Michigan Truck Plant.



The underpinnings of this truck are familiar: a shortened and lightened F150 frame with numerous shared components. The truck will copy Dakota with a V6 and V8 engine lineup, but position its V6 engine as the key power plant--restricting V8 to limited-volume trims. The truck will be a little bigger than its competition with dimensions just slightly smaller than the 1998 2003 F150. Unlike the Ranger, the F-100 will finally include a true five-seating double-cab, upscale version of which will serve as a Sport Trac replacement.



This new truck platform will spawn one more vehicle: a new Ford Bronco. Secretly (until now), Ford has been preparing an answer to the success that is the Wrangler, and the threat that is the Hummer H4. The Bronco will stay true to its original roots and be a capable off-roader with two solid axles, true 4x4 and a truck frame. After the 2004 Bronco concept which was built on the Fiesta platform, many diehards were worried the Bronco would become a soft-roading lifestyle SUV for the urban youth market. While I and some others saw potential in this move, it seems Ford is playing it safe with the Bronco name and affixing it to a true, rugged off-road capable SUV. Like the Wrangler, the Bronco is to feature a removable top and folding windshield. It could debut alongside the F-100 in 2010, or a little later.

 

[TrainTrac]

Another article about the F-100:

Enter the Rumormill: Ford considering F-100 small pickup



Posted May 12th 2008 1:05PM by John Neff



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.

 

[TrainTrac]

And finally:

Rumors That Ford Is Thinking Smaller With New F-100 Pickup, Based on the F-150



By: Mike Levine



With oil prices and Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards rapidly rising and the Ford Ranger compact on its last legs, a 'baby' F-Series pickup may be about to join Ford's best selling truck family. On and offline sources are whispering that the all new Ford F-100 mid-size hauler will arrive by 2011, slotted below the F-150 half-ton.



In March we hinted this move was coming, when we described how, "weight savings and manufacturing flexibility," will be key to the success of the next-gen 2012 Ford F-150. That's because the F-100 is expected to share a modified version of the future F-150's body-on-frame platform.



Nissan pioneered a similar approach building big and small trucks off of its 'F-Alpha' platform. F-Alpha underpins both the full-size Titan and mid-size Frontier pickups, as well as Nissan's full and mid-size SUVs.



There are several advantages to a shared platform strategy. Ford can save development time and costs by sharing major components, like frame and powertrain parts, between trucks. Today's Ford Ranger and F-150 pickups share almost nothing in common. It's also expected that the F-100 and F-150 will roll down the same assembly line at Ford's Dearborn Truck Plant, so Ford can efficiently adjust its product mix according to customer demand.



The F-100 is expected to be just under 9/10ths the size of the 2009 F-150 - a form factor that the 2000-2006 Toyota Tundra was roundly criticized for not too long ago. But that was before U.S. fuel prices skyrocketed to over $3.50 a gallon for regular gasoline and demand for half-ton trucks began to dramatically shrink. F-150 sales have fallen 15.5% through April from 2007 levels.



Weight savings should be substantial compared to the current F-150. In addition to its smaller size, the F-100 (and future F-150) is expected to use thinner gauge, higher strength steel in its frame rails and cross members while aluminum will be used to remove pounds from the hood and lift gate.



Engine choices are said to include naturally aspirated and 'EcoBoost' twin turbo gasoline direct injection V6 engines and one V8 gas motor. We're also hoping Ford offers its 2010 4.4-liter light duty diesel V8 as an option. The engine mix will be critical as Ford seeks to meet 2015's 28.6 miles-per-gallon CAFE target for light duty trucks that was recently established by the federal government.



Since Ford groups sales of its F-150 with the F-250, F-350 and F-450 (equipped with a pickup box) Super Duty pickups under a single F-Series bucket each month, it will be interesting to see if the F-100 is pulled into this group too. Technically, the F-100 will have much more in common with the F-150 than an F-150 has with Ford's Super Dutys.



The F-100 badge hasn't been used on a Ford pickup since 1983, but with fuel prices continuing to rise, and Ford hurting for a modern mid-size truck, it can't arrive soon enough.



For further reading, it appears the staff at Autosavant have heard similar information about the F-100 from their sources. They also have speculative news about the ultimate fate of the Ford Ranger.

 

[Thomas Rogers]

Wow...about 3 years too late to help Ford's bottom line.



But probably just in time for $7/gallon gas and the end of the pickup as a passenger vehicle.



Sure, maybe 1/10th of today's pickup owners, those that truly need pickups, will still buy a pickups in 2011 and may consider a Ford, but few else will.



TJR

 

[Tom Schindler]

I called this 2 to 3 years ago.



Then again, rumors were that Ford was going to drop the Sport Trac in 2003 because of low sales numbers.





Tom

 

[TomT]

I'll bet they change their mind. With gas prices this high they need a smaller truck. Not another large truck.

 

[TrainTrac]

That's why they'll have the EcoBoost V6. It's supposed to have almost four cylinder-like fuel economy with near V8 power on demand.

 

[Gypsy me]

You sure did Caymen. I figured by 2010 my own guess.

 

[Richard L]

People have been predicting the end of the Sport Trac every year since 2003, including that it will become a new 4 door Ranger. Hell, Ford doesn't even know what they are doing from one day to the next, so how can anybody else know.



...Rich

 

[A K]

While the end may have been foreseen, and gas prices hastening the slow death, there's something to be said about a mid-size pickup truck. The Colorado is an example of how a manufacturer can go wrong in design, ride, cheap quality, etc. The ST at least brought a refined aura to the segment. I hope Ford doesn't merely rebadge the South American 4-doors.