Ford is rumored to be working on a small subcompact pickup truck that may also make its way to the North American market. The new truck is expected to serve as the informal replacement to the Ford Courier—a small pickup that was sold in countries such as Brazil and Mexico.

Whereas the previous Courier was based on old Ford Fiesta components, Automobile Magazine reported the new model will share its underpinnings with the latest global Ford Focus compact car.

Supporting the model’s North American prospects: Ford has applied to trademark the Courier name with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The nameplate was previously applied to a Mazda-based compact pickup truck Ford sold in the United States throughout the 1970s and early 1980s. More recently, Ford has used the name on the Transit Courier small van that is sold overseas, and it’s possible that Ford’s trademark application is in reference to that vehicle.

Although Ford spokesperson Dawn McKenzie declined comment on the Courier, she said in an emailed statement that the company is “significantly expanding our North America lineup with all-new vehicles and entering new segments with fresh designs and white-space silhouettes that will position us for even more growth.”

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Where that leaves the sub-Ranger-sized pickup remains to be seen. Should it materialize, the Courier can expect to compete directly with the production Hyundai Santa Cruz compact pickup, which is expected to go on sale in the next few years.



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