Ford is apparently serious about building a small pickup using the platform of the newest Focus. Insiders at the Blue Oval tell Ford Authority that several months of development are already complete, and the team intends to start evaluating test mules soon.

Gallery: Ford Focus Pickup Render

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The tiny truck would share many of its mechanical bits with the latest Focus but substitute a sedan or hatchback body style for a cargo bed at the back. Ford is reportedly aiming for a 2021 calendar year launch for the little carry-all that would sit below the revived Ranger. This recipe of taking a small Ford and turning it into a little pickup likely sounds familiar to folks outside the United States where the Blue Oval sells small utes like the Courier (gallery below). The previous generation of this little pickup used the Fiesta for its underpinnings.

It's not yet clear whether Ford would sell the Focus-based truck in the United States, but the company is at least preparing for the possibility. In July 2016, the automaker filed for the trademark on the Courier name in the United States, and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office finally granted the right to use the moniker on June 26, 2018.

Earlier reports suggest that Ford would build the model in Mexico. From there the company would export them to Brazil first before launching a version in America.

Gallery: Ford Courier (1997 to 2013)

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According to Ford Authority's insiders, the company favors the Courier name for the new model, but there isn't a final decision yet.

So far, Ford has decided not to offer the new Focus in the United States, including the higher-riding, crossover-inspired Active version. Offering a pickup on the platform might fit better with the Blue Oval's plan to focus on trucks and SUVs and mean a glimmer of hope for this little truck being available in the U.S.

Source: Ford Authority, United States Patent and Trademark Office