Ford Considering Focus-based Pickup

[don4331]

yes...i would drive a 20-22k awd 4 door escape ranger as long as it had a 5.5 bed.

I think someone has hacked Bobby's account; he'd drive an Escape based mini truck?! Sorry, Bobby, couldn't resist.

I've taken measurements of the wife ex-Escape (previous generation)/in-law's (current generation):

To get 2 door awd mini truck with a 5.5' bed, you would have to extend the rear overhang ~6"; basically an update to the South Africa/America Courier.

Alternately, a 4 door awd mini truck gets 2.5' bed, again with 6" extension. You could probably extend the rear overhang 18" and get a 3.5' bed - Subaru Baja being the equivalent. Note: The Baja, like the Chevrolet Avalanche, had ability to fold the back seat up, open the back wall of the cab and extend the cargo bed into the cab, to handle 6' objects, so does that meet spec?

To get a 5.5' bed in a 4 dr Escape, Ford would need to stretch the wheelbase ~24". Honda Ridgeline has 20" greater wheelbase for 5.3' bed. The 2nd part of the challenge - the Escape has ~1,100lb payload capacity - fine for dad/mom, 3 munchkins & luggage for weekend; but there nothing left over for cargo bed. A redesign for enough length & strength to haul both passengers and cargo is a completely different vehicle.

Aside: F-150 users lose their marbles when they find their premium SuperCrew 4wd can only tow ~3,500lbs without being over weight after loading family, Fido and 'stuff' in the box.

My ideal is probably combination of Škoda Felicia Fun - Pickup to SUV & back and Hyundai Santa Cruz - extendable box.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I think someone has hacked Bobby's account; he'd drive an Escape based mini truck?!

He would also be the first to SAS and Detroit diesel swap said Escape based mini truck.

 

[2002edgeplussupercab]

Hyundai/Kia should make a half-ton truck.

 

[RonD]

Interesting page here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_pickup_trucks

Russian Pickup: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_pickup_trucks#/media/File:VAZ-2329-1_pickup.jpg

Fiat Pickup: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_pickup_trucks#/media/File:Fiat_Strada_Adventure_1.3_JTD_Multijet_Lumberjack_(IV)_–_Frontansicht,_5._Oktober_2013,_Münster.jpg

Chinese Pickup: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_pickup_trucks#/media/File:Foton_SUP_China_2015-04-10.jpg

Mercedes Pickup: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_pickup_trucks#/media/File:2018_Mercedes-Benz_X_250_d_(470)_Power_utility_(2018-09-17).jpg

 

[2002edgeplussupercab]

OK, the Fiat and Mercedes are not even as much pickup as a Honda Ridgeline.

 

[don4331]

OK, the Fiat and Mercedes are not even as much pickup as a Honda Ridgeline.

Isn't that Mercedes truck just a re-badged Nissan Navarra/Frontier? Which would make it a legit pickup.

Fiat Strada/Chevrolet Montana/Volkswagen Saveiro are all the same "coupe" you would get from a Focus platform. Strada is unique in you can get it in Regular cab/long box (5.5'), extended cab/mid box (4.5' box) and crewcab/short box (3.5'). When a Strada with Ram badges and 5 bolt wheels was roaming Michigan in '14, I thought maybe, but it never happened.

Hyundai toyed with us with the Santa Cruz - which would fit in the above "coupe" group. Kai has shown a Ridgeline clone ala Volkswagen Tanoak. But they seem to be too nervous to commit to the NA truck market.

 

[2002edgeplussupercab]

We don't have any of that here in the United States.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

We don't have any of that here in the United States.

Not really sure many wish for it either

 

[bobbywalter]

OK, the Fiat and Mercedes are not even as much pickup as a Honda Ridgeline.

I think someone has hacked Bobby's account; he'd drive an Escape based mini truck?! Sorry, Bobby, couldn't resist.

I've taken measurements of the wife ex-Escape (previous generation)/in-law's (current generation):

To get 2 door awd mini truck with a 5.5' bed, you would have to extend the rear overhang ~6"; basically an update to the South Africa/America Courier.

Alternately, a 4 door awd mini truck gets 2.5' bed, again with 6" extension. You could probably extend the rear overhang 18" and get a 3.5' bed - Subaru Baja being the equivalent. Note: The Baja, like the Chevrolet Avalanche, had ability to fold the back seat up, open the back wall of the cab and extend the cargo bed into the cab, to handle 6' objects, so does that meet spec?

To get a 5.5' bed in a 4 dr Escape, Ford would need to stretch the wheelbase ~24". Honda Ridgeline has 20" greater wheelbase for 5.3' bed. The 2nd part of the challenge - the Escape has ~1,100lb payload capacity - fine for dad/mom, 3 munchkins & luggage for weekend; but there nothing left over for cargo bed. A redesign for enough length & strength to haul both passengers and cargo is a completely different vehicle.

Aside: F-150 users lose their marbles when they find their premium SuperCrew 4wd can only tow ~3,500lbs without being over weight after loading family, Fido and 'stuff' in the box.

My ideal is probably combination of Škoda Felicia Fun - Pickup to SUV & back and Hyundai Santa Cruz - extendable box.

it would be an extended platform long wheelbase. not id envelope like current critter. like a jeep comanche.

 

[Ozwynn]

I would never call a front wheel drive uni-body vehicle a "true truck".

I dont know, I had a volkswagen Rabbit pickup that would carry 56 bails of hay just like a Ranger or a Toyota.........

would also haul 3 dirtbikes (1 YZ250, 1 CR250, and 1 XR 350) to the camping spot along with 3 teen boys in the cab.

 

[Ozwynn]

Interesting page here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_pickup_trucks

Russian Pickup: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_pickup_trucks#/media/File:VAZ-2329-1_pickup.jpg

Fiat Pickup: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_pickup_trucks#/media/File:Fiat_Strada_Adventure_1.3_JTD_Multijet_Lumberjack_(IV)_–_Frontansicht,_5._Oktober_2013,_Münster.jpg

Chinese Pickup: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_pickup_trucks#/media/File:Foton_SUP_China_2015-04-10.jpg

Mercedes Pickup: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_pickup_trucks#/media/File:2018_Mercedes-Benz_X_250_d_(470)_Power_utility_(2018-09-17).jpg

according to the manufacturer of the chinese one they can have 1,000 units prepped with US emissions and impact standard avail to ship in 30 days. or atleast thats what is says on ali express....

 

[Bird76Mojo]

I dont know, I had a volkswagen Rabbit pickup that would carry 56 bails of hay just like a Ranger or a Toyota.........

I'd like to see a picture of that VW carrying 56 bales. lmao




GB

 

[wildbill23c]

I dont know, I had a volkswagen Rabbit pickup that would carry 56 bails of hay just like a Ranger or a Toyota.........

would also haul 3 dirtbikes (1 YZ250, 1 CR250, and 1 XR 350) to the camping spot along with 3 teen boys in the cab.

Must be some pretty skinny boys to all fit in the cab of a Rabbit pickup. Those things were also front wheel drive, which probably not something that many people think of.

I laugh at the older Toyota pickups that were supposedly rated at 1 ton...the truck was so damn small you would run out of the ability to stack stuff before you reached the supposed 1 ton rating LOL.

 

[bobbywalter]

depends on what you do...roofing...7-7500 pounds was my normal driving around weight....and my truck in naked dragstrip trim then was about 42-4500 pounds.


the transit things do pretty good....


$20-$22 k 4 door awd/4wd pushing 26 or better mpg unladen at 70 mph would be ok.


25-27 k for a 2wd low trim....mmmmm i will have to drive them a bit to know for sure.

 

[Ozwynn]

Must be some pretty skinny boys to all fit in the cab of a Rabbit pickup. Those things were also front wheel drive, which probably not something that many people think of.

I laugh at the older Toyota pickups that were supposedly rated at 1 ton...the truck was so damn small you would run out of the ability to stack stuff before you reached the supposed 1 ton rating LOL.

I ddint get fat until I got out of the Army. I did 6 years Airforce and 2 years Army.


all depends on how you stack...... we've stacked hay on S-10, 1 ton Toyotas, Rangers, and Datsuns until the bumpers were dragging.... same on the Rabbit.

we never had a fullsize truck on the ranch until my mom bought a '73 360 powered no powersteering F350 dually flatbed...... sometime after I went to basic training.

but I could be wrong for the numbers on the Rabbit.... we put a squeeze load on it on the regular...... for some reason I remember that as 56 bails. but doing some math 1 ton of 50 pound bails would be 40..... anyways it carried a ton.