The Ford Ka minicar and the global Ford Ranger pickup will not be sold in the United States, Ford Motor Co. CEO Alan Mulally says. This douses hopes of enthusiasts who perked up with Mulally’s previous statement that both vehicles were under consideration for sale in the US. “Too small for American tastes,” is the reason for the Ka being edged out.The Ka, a minicar developed with Fiat S.p.A., is even smaller than the subcompact Ford Fiesta, which will go on sale in the US early next year. In an interview with Automotive News, Mulally said that the Fiesta is about the smallest vehicle that the company thinks will be a real success in the US. At 142.5 inches long, the Ka is about 25 inches shorter than the Fiesta. But the Ka is a few inches longer than its sister vehicle, the Fiat 500, which Chrysler Group plans to sell in the US in 2011.
On the other hand, the global Ranger is a new compact pickup, different from the aging Ranger currently sold in the US. It was developed in Australia for worldwide markets but production of the U.S. Ranger is scheduled to end in 2011. Ford is looking to fill the compact pickup segment. Last year, Ford shelved a lightweight version of the F-150 and it remains unclear what product, if any, will fill the current U.S. Ranger’s spot.
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