It's no longer a mystery that Ford is planning to relaunch the Ranger in the United States, but word has it an even smaller pickup truck will hit dealerships as early as 2022. This new hauler will be based on the fourth-generation Focus and will be produced in Mexico.

The news comes from Automobile Magazine, which quotes sources "familiar with Ford's future product plan." There isn't much info to run on, but a Focus-based truck makes a lot of sense now that Ford is about to discontinue all of its cars in the U.S., save for the Focus Active and the Mustang pony car.

The same source claims that the truck will be launched at first in Brazil, where it will replace the Courier, a small pickup based on the old Fiesta. The truck will then be offered in other markets in South and Central America as a more affordable proposition to the Ranger.

Given the fact that Ford was very reluctant in bringing the Ranger back to the U.S., claiming that customers don't want compact trucks, an even smaller pickup may seem like an odd choice. However, FoMoCo's new strategy is heavily focused on SUVs and truck, so the company may have changed its mind. The article also claims that Ford may revive yet another iconic nameplate for this truck, which could be called the Ranchero.

Introduced in 1957 as a truck version of the Custom sedan, the Ranchero lived on until 1979 and shared underpinnings with iconic cars like the Falcon, Fairlane, Torino, and LTD. Another Ranchero was produced in Argentina from 1973 to 1991. With Ford now set to revive the Bronco nameplate, the Ranchero's return after more than 40 years wouldn't be very surprising.

Maybe this will prompt Chevrolet to revive the El Camino too? One can only hope!

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