Report: Ford Ranger on its way to the US

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Australia's favourite four-wheel-drive ute is gearing up to tackle the land of the pick-up truck.

Reports in the US claim Ford is set to offer its Ranger ute as a response to the success of similar models such as the Chevrolet Colorado and Toyota Tacoma; which are considered 'compact pickups' in the US market.

Ford had success with the Ranger badge in the past, before dropping the model in the US to focus on larger machines such as the best-selling F-150 pickup.

Car and Driver reports the US-bound Ranger will be the same Australian-developed model that enjoys immense success in our market. The ute will continue to offer Ford's 3.2-litre five-cylinder turbo-diesel engine as well as four-wheel-drive, though a powerful petrol version may also be added to the range when it goes on sale in three years' time.

The news is likely to benefit Australian customers, as development and parts costs for the popular model could be spread across a much larger customer base, making the model cheaper to build. It also opens the door to a much larger accessories catalogue for the popular ute.

The Ranger is already offered in many markets around the world. Factories on three continents build the car in Thailand (where Australian examples are assembled), South Africa, and Argentina.

Australian drivers facing lengthy waiting lists for popular models such as the Ranger Wildtrak shouldn't be inconvenienced by American models, which are likely to be built in the US to take advantage of tax structures that favour locally-assembled pickups.

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