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Ford has commenced work on developing a small, unibody pickup truck, Ford Authority has learned. According to sources familiar with the project, the Dearborn-based automaker has commenced engineering and design work on the vehicle several months ago, with the very first prototypes set to begin testing in the near future.

The Vehicle

Last summer, we told you that Ford is considering a small, unibody pickup truck to slot under the mid-size Ranger. Reports stated that the small pickup truck would be based on the new Ford Focus platform, meaning that it will have a transversely-mounted powertrain. Engines will likely consist of small, four-cylinder motors in either naturally-aspirated or turbo-charged guises driving the front wheels; all-wheel-drive will also potentially be available.

Naming

The future small truck could potentially be called Courier. Ford filed to trademark the Courier name in July 2016 with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The Blue Oval also sold a small unibody pickup truck called Courier in South America. The vehicle was based on a last-generation Ford Fiesta platform.

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Another possibility is that Ford will revive the Ranchero name that was previously worn by a series of low-riding, car-based pickups that today carry a notable amount of collectibility and nostalgia. Our sources said that the name for the vehicle has not yet been locked in, but that Courier is the frontrunner.

Launch Cadence

Whatever it ends up being called, the upcoming small, car-based Ford pickup truck will will be introduced in the 2021 calendar year as a 2022 model. That’s all we know, for now.

Stay tuned to Ford Authority for more coverage of the car-based truck, as well as for more Ford news coverage.

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