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Mulally: No Ford Ka, world market Ranger for U.S.

Monday, November 9th, 2009

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Ford’s global product portfolio will be trickling into the United States market later this year with the arrival of the Fiesta and, later, the world market Focus, but company CEO Alan Mulally says that’s about the end of the road – for now. The European-developed Ka subcompact and Australian-developed Ranger pickup will not enter the market.

Previously, Mulally had indicated that the automaker was considering importing both vehicles as it seeks to drastically cut costs and align its global product portfolio.

The second-generation introduced in late 2008 Ka is the follow-up to the successful first generation model. Developed with Fiat, the Ka shares its platform with the Italian automaker’s diminutive 500. While Fiat has readily announced that it plans to begin importation of the 500 to the U.S. and Canada in about a year through its new Chrysler distribution network, Ford says that the Ka is just too small for the market.

“Our view is that Fiesta is about the smallest vehicle that we think will be a real success in the United States,” Mulally said in an interview with Automotive News. Ironically, the Ka is slightly longer than the 500, although it measures about 25 inches shorter than the Fiesta overall.

Ford had also been looking at the Australian-developed world market Ranger to replace the company’s aging domestic model. Production of the Ranger currently sold in North America is set to end in 2011, but Ford has indicated it doesn’t want to abandon the compact pickup market. The news from Mulally that the world market Ranger won’t make its way to North America leaves Ford without any potential replacement for the 25-year-old current platform.

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