But will it make it to Australia?
It wasn’t all that long ago that you could walk into your local Holden dealer, go straight past a Colorado, and tell the salesperson that you’d like to take home a brand-new Ute. With its Commodore underpinnings the Ute was always rather spacious, particularly in back, and provided all the trappings that a modern tradie would appreciate: A civilised ride, a well thought-out cabin, and room in the back for a gen-set and power tools.
But that’s not an option available anymore. The two-door low-slung ute body style is something that just hasn’t caught on in the rest of the world, and that’s even before we talk about adding a V8 to the equation. But it seems that Ford reckons there’s mileage in this space, albeit in a smaller form like the now-defunct Fiesta-based Courier. If reports prove true, the Blue Oval is now investigating the commercial viability of a two-door ute, based on the chassis of the Ford Focus.
Those familiar with the project spoke to US publication Automobile, reporting that the new model would slot beneath the Ranger in the lineup, but offer similar space in the truck bed. But for those who think that they ought to then hold off getting a new Ranger, take note: The upcoming compact-ute will only arrive in 2022 (perhaps), as it’ll be based on the next-generation model.
While the primary market for this unibody-ute will be Latin America, sources said that the Focus-ute would likely find its way to the US market as part of Ford’s push to reclaim the lead in ute sales there, an important distinction for the carmaker. There was further mention that the new ute could find its way to European markets too, though there was no mention of Asia, or Australia. So perhaps you ought to just get that Ford Ranger, then.
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