Ford expects to sell 1,200 examples of the new Ranger in January.
Demand is ramping up for the new Ford Ranger, as the company plans to add on overtime shifts. Next week, Ford’s Michigan Assembly plant will stack on extra shifts to keep up with the Ranger’s growing demand. Automotive News reports that Kumar Galhotra, president of Ford’s North American division, said about 300,000 people expressed interest in buying the truck.
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Ford currently builds the Ranger on a single shift at the plant, but orders are quickly outstripping supply. “Based on the orders coming in, and based on the hand-raisers, we think the demand’s going to be so strong, that starting in February our assembly plant will be going into massive overtime,” Galhotra said.
The company didn’t outline specifically what that would look like, but it’s clear demand is present for the return of Ford’s midsize contender. Ford previously produced the Ranger from 1983 to 2011, when it exited the small truck market. Since then, Toyota has dominated the market, and the question remains as to whether that’s about to change. Only time and sales reports in 2019 will tell.
Midsize truck buyers will have plenty of choice in the coming months. From perennials like the Toyota Tacoma, Chevrolet Colorado, GMC Canyon, Nissan Frontier and Honda Ridgeline to new players like the Ranger and Jeep Gladiator, the expanding market may hit a fever pitch soon. Sticking with the 2019 Ford Ranger, prices start from $25,395 including tax and rise to more than $45,000 for a fully loaded Lariat.
Check out our 1,100-mile road trip in the new Ranger and plenty more on TFLtruck’s YouTube channel and TFLtruck.com.
