Has Ford been working on a "baby" truck to slot in below its F-150?
Rumors out of Dearborn suggest a new mid-size truck could be on dealer lots by 2011, as the aging Ford Ranger will finally be phased out (the St. Paul, Minn., plant where the Ranger is built should close in the near future).
Because of rising gasoline prices and CAFE standards, it appears a smaller, fuel-efficient truck would boost Ford's image and benefit the company's bottom line.
If Ford does build a baby F-150 (some are calling it the F-100), we expect the body-on-frame truck to share many of its parts and development costs with the next generation Ford F-150. Engine choices for the vehicle may include naturally aspirated and 'EcoBoost' twin-turbo direct injection V6 engines and a V8 option similar to Dodge's Dakota.