http://www.freep.com/story/money/ca...ers-meet-approve-proposed-agreement/75446210/

Wow!
#ad

 

What Jalopik has to say about it:
http://truckyeah.jalopnik.com/fords-uaw-contract-confirms-a-ranger-and-bronco-built-i-1741506390

 

They share wide fender flares and a sweeping roof line, but the hood, grille and headlights are pretty different.

 

LOL, sometimes. They were about as different then as now, when you think about it. Trucks and cars in any given era had the same basic shapes, someone would think outside the box and then everyone would copy cat them. Sure, the grilles and headlights, and some styling hints were different... but they all were the same basic shapes.

Early 50s Chevy, Ford, Dodge and Studebaker trucks... all had a raised hood, fat fenders up front, step side bed with rounded fenders.
Bel Air's and Fords of the same era. Similar.
Early Corvette and Thunderbird
Late 60s/early 70s Chevy and Ford trucks... all squared off.
1960-mid 60s Dodge trucks, design queues from the 1957-1960 Ford F100.
70s Lincolns and Caddies, many similarities
Continentals and Devilles.
Ranchero... El Camino
Mustang II... Vega
and so on

 

To me its all a matter of perspective, and what vehicles we pay attention to. Nostalgia, I'm guessing, plays a part in what you like and notice. For others, older cars have zero appeal. For me, its a little of everything. My list of vehicles I'd love to have and work on crosses all lines... a Super Beetle, a T-bucket, a 56 Big window F100, a 66 F100, a 74 Camaro split bumper, the 2004-2008 F150 (if done right), a 2000-2004 Harley Davidson F150, an 80s Mazda RX7.

Consider that you grew up knowing what's Ford, what's Dodge, what's Chevy and seeing what each company put out. Someone who did not grow up with those cars, and knows nothing about them, can't tell the difference.

People who pay attention to modern cars and trucks notice the differences.

I can tell right off the new Ranger is a Ford, not a Chevy. Maybe you don't notice it, but I spot it immediately.... the accent body line across the bottom of the body screams Ford truck. The diamond shaped grille... says Ford. Chevy car's (and the Colorado) V shaped grille says Chevy. etc. The front end of a Ram truck is 100% Dodge. Ford F150... square grilles with horizontal slots. Chevy and GM full size trucks... wide rectangle grilles. Fords trucks have rounded fender flares while GM/Chevy are more squared off.

Imports...
Toyota cars... line across the headlights through the small upper horizontal grille is shaped like a smile, and a huge lower grille opening that's flat across the bottom, with diagonal corners across the top.

And so on.

 

I can respect that you see it differently. Some things we'll agree on, others not. Good chat though!

Back to the Ranger, keep in mind that Ranger may or may not be the one we end up with, since it's the international version. I wouldn't be surprised if they make a few changes to the grill on the North American version to make it more along the family lines of the F150 and Super Duty.

 

I'd buy a crew Ranger. I have two full size trucks, don't need another.