Ford has a ton of new cars and trucks up its sleeve in the coming years. Upcoming reveals include the fourteenth-generation F-150, (eventually) the next global Ranger, the new Bronco and even the small Bronco Sport. That last one is especially important in this context, as Motor Trend reports Ford’s “baby Bronco” could lend some of its styling and most of its powertrain to their upcoming small truck — colloquially referred to as the Courier.
The Ford Courier was a nameplate last used in the 1970s, as a rebadged version of Mazda’s B-Series pickup before they developed the first-generation Ranger. However, Ford hasn’t announced an official name yet, and the car-based pickup could just as easily wear the “Ranchero” name. The Ranchero was a truck-based spin on Ford’s car platforms from the 1950s and 60s.
How Ford’s mini-truck will look (and go)
The photo above is all we’ve seen of Ford’s tiny truck so far. It certainly takes styling cues at the front from the Ranger, but it may end up looking more boxy like the Bronco Sport in its final form. Motor Trend‘s piece suggest the Ford Courier (or whatever Ford calls it) will take styling cues from both vehicles. Expect a Ranger-ish front end, a Bronco-like cab with a short bed behind.
Now, what’s underneath falls solely in the Bronco Sport camp. Don’t expect body-on-frame construction here, as is the case between the Ranger and the full-size Bronco. Instead, this should be a unibody design with the Bronco Sport’s powertrains. According to leaked order documents, the Bronco Sport is coming with a 1.5-liter three-cylinder or 2.0-liter four-cylinder EcoBoost engine options, similar to the latest Ford Escape. Odds are Ford will offer front or all-wheel drive options as well, while the only transmission is an eight-speed automatic.
In an effort to offer more models at reduced costs, two words are at the forefront of Ford’s upcoming reveals: platform sharing. The Ranger and Bronco share underlying components, and now it appears the Bronco Sport, Escape and Courier will as well.
Since they will most likely share platforms, it’s likely Ford will build the Courier alongside the Bronco Sport in Mexico. On the name front, Motor Trend also floats the idea of a “Bronco” name for its small truck, creating a whole family of vehicles around the iconic name.
Maybe “Bronco Scout” — a name floated for the Bronco Sport — would be an appropriate name here. Let us know what you think in the poll below:
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