Breaking News: 2022 Ford Courier Designs Leaked

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After recent reports citing "sources familiar with Ford’s future product plan" announced the development of a Focus-based pickup could be ready for the U.S. market as early as 2019, new information reveals that a larger and more upmarket compact pickup is in development as well. Ford Truck Enthusiasts spoke, on the condition of anonymity, to a source with "a close working relationship with Ford," who tells us the automaker is working on a new Courier model, to be based on the Sonora, Mexico-built CD4 (Fusion) platform.

We asked our source if the Courier reboot meant rumors of a Focus-based pickup were bunk. He quoted a "Ford executive familiar with the project" as saying, "Nothing with a bed is off the table at this time." It's no secret Ford's bread and butter is its truck sales, and with the demise of the car as we know it on the horizon, it follows that the Focus and Fusion both will need to do double duty as crossovers and/or pickups if they want to survive in the U.S. market. These reports, which should surprise absolutely no one, based on Ford's own estimates that their combined truck/SUV sales figures will hit 86% by 2020, open up a range of attractive possibilities for the automaker. Before we take a closer look at the new pickup, let's take a glance at the Courier timeline.

First Generation (1972–1976)

Ford's first Courier was a re-badged Mazda B-series pickup truck, though it had single rather than dual headlights and a grille was restyled to resemble FoMoCo's full-size F-series pickups. These Couriers featured body-on-frame construction, with separate beds and cabs, as well as 75 hp 1.8L SOHC inline four-cylinder engines, yielding a surprisingly substantial 1,400 lb load capacity.

>>Join the conversation about the Ford Courier on the horizon right here in Ford-trucks.com.

Second Generation (1977–1985)

The second-gen Courier is the one the mini-truck that the modding community invited to stay. Engine options began with the 1.8L four again but evolved into 2.0L and 2.3L (Pinto) fours starting in 1979. The arrival of Ford's Ranger in 1983 killed the Courier off in the U.S., though the Courier continued to be sold outside the U.S. until '85. The crisp lines and clean design of this version have aged well, as crisp, clean designs have a way of doing. We'd like to see a retro version emulating this era Courier, something more along the lines of Ford's classics-inspired Mustangs—no Chevy HHR jobs, please.

>>Join the conversation about the Ford Courier on the horizon right here in Ford-trucks.com.

Third Generation (1985–1998)

Still not sold in the U.S., Couriers were redesigned concurrent with Mazda's redesign of their B-series/Proceed platform in 1985. The new trucks had more spacious cabs and became available with V6 power and 4WD. Couriers also could also be had with extended cabs and extra doors, and a Courier-based SUV was launched as the Ford Raider/Mazda Marvie in 1991.

>>Join the conversation about the Ford Courier on the horizon right here in Ford-trucks.com.

Fourth Generation (1998–2007)

Again sparked by a Mazda redesign, a new Courier was introduced in 1998, though primarily for Australian and New Zealand markets, with Ford replacing the Courier with Rangers—of both Ford and Mazda origin—in the rest of the world.

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Europe (1991–2002) and Brazil (1998–2013)

As is typical for Europe, Ford applied a popular nameplate to a completely different model, bequeathing the Courier name to a van based on the Fiesta in 1991, replacing it in 2002 with the Ford Transit Connect.

Ford of Brazil used the Courier name on small unibody pickup and combi models derived from the 1998 Fiesta. These couriers were sold in Brazil, as well as being exported to Mexico and elsewhere. It's only a hop, skip, and a jump from these most-recent mini-trucks to the upcoming pickups from the Blue Oval.

>>Join the conversation about the Ford Courier on the horizon right here in Ford-trucks.com.

Getting to Know You

As these renderings show, and the Fusion base suggests, the new Courier will be an attached-bed unibody proposition. And although Ford is clearly not averse to resurrecting old nameplates, our source assures us he has "no information to [the] effect" that it could be marketed under the Ranchero name. Of course, that doesn't mean it won't share some of that beloved car/truck's hot rod cache, with renderings suggesting strong sporting aspirations, including large wheels and splitters galore—though there's no visible carbon at this stage. Our source tells us to look for higher trim levels and appointments as opposed to the more utilitarian nature of the Focus-based pickup. We asked if 2019 Ranger trim packages would carry over to the Courier (this is Ford we're talking about after all), or if unique combinations and appellations were planned. We were told to "keep an eye on Shelby."

While that sounds mysterious, it certainly got our imaginations working overtime. When our thoughts turned to a spec. truck racing series, we knew it was time to come back down to earth. Realistically, gas/electric hybrid and Energi gas/plug-in versions are probably a lock. That said, we are certainly going to monitor shows for any new Fusion-based aftermarket offerings, as well as for any collaborative SEMA specials, like those used by Lexus to boost new model launches.

>>Join the conversation about the Ford Courier on the horizon right here in Ford-trucks.com.

Win-Win

An upside of a new Courier for Ford is its sales potential in overseas markets, particularly in the EU where Ford passenger cars remain strong sellers. While full-size Ford trucks are objects of desire in the EU, narrower roads, smaller parking spaces, and heavy taxation on larger engine displacements work to keep sales of F-150s lower than they would otherwise be. Additionally, Ford's diesel vehicle presence in the EU positions the company to sell diesel Couriers in the U.S. should so they decide to do so.

While exciting, the likelihood of a new Courier, or a new Focus-based pick-up, selling in sufficient numbers hinges heavily on the economy. In tough economic times, manufacturers are less likely to take chances on unknown entities, though upward movement in fuel prices could bode well for small pickup survival. Recent studies detailing the rise of transportation network companies, including ride-hailing companies like Lyft and Uber, show that they are jamming up America's major cities. While the new Courier could more easily sneak into gaps in urban traffic than a full-size truck or SUV, their potential attractiveness to Amazon's new army of independent couriers (small 'C') could mean that if it's the hit Ford hopes it will be, the Courier may become both the solution to, and a cause of, congestion.

>>Join the conversation about the Ford Courier on the horizon right here in Ford-trucks.com.

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