PEKIN, Ill. – There’s been a lot of complaining that Ford
Motor Co. has the 2016 Ford Ranger in over 180 global markets, excluding the
U.S., but Ford finally may have bent its ear to hear the complaints of midsize
pickup drivers because the Ford Ranger
will return to the U.S. in 2018, according to inside sources aware of
Ford’s plans.
Ford is working with the United Auto Workers to build the
Ranger at the Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Mich. but before anything is set in
stone the union and then Ford’s board of directors must agree to the contract’s
contents.
The last Ranger manufactured in the U.S. rolled off the
assembly line in 2011 at the Twin Cities Assembly Plant – now out of commission
– in Minnesota. But that didn’t end production of the Ranger, which is now
built in South Africa, Argentina, Thailand, and Nigeria.
If you’ve ever wondered why Ford doesn’t just import the
Ranger, it’s because of a 25% tariff called the “chicken tax,” which, for Ford
to recover the costs of importation, would hike up prices for American buyers.
As you can imagine, a midsize truck wouldn’t sell well with a 25% price
increase.
Right now Ford and the UAW are discussing whether or not the
Ranger would fit in at the Michigan Assembly Plant, which employs 4,500 workers
who build the C-Max and Focus. If the contract to build the Ranger in Michigan
goes through, production of the C-Max and Focus would be moved to Mexico.
If the Ford Ranger
returns to the U.S. in 2018, it would help the automaker clinch a berth in
the competition for midsize truck sales. Ford’s competitors have already
cleared a space for their products, including the Chevrolet Colorado, GMC
Canyon, Toyota Tacoma, and Nissan Frontier. Inserting its Ranger back into the
midsize truck segment would also help Ford meet the federal governments rising
standards for fuel economy across fleets.
If you were as bummed as us when Ford ended production of
the Ranger back in 2011, then news like this should have you out of your seat.
We can’t wait to see the Ranger return in 2018, and we’ll always love the old
models. Check out our inventory of used cars and trucks at our Morton area used car dealer to see if we have any in stock.
At Velde Ford, we are committed to providing our customers with an unbeatable level of service and a great car buying experience. Feel free to visit our dealership, Velde Ford at 2200 North 8th Street, Pekin, IL 61554.
At Velde Ford, we are committed to providing our customers with an unbeatable level of service and a great car buying experience. Feel free to visit our dealership, Velde Ford at 2200 North 8th Street, Pekin, IL 61554.
Visit our website: VeldeFordPekin.com
No comments:
Post a Comment