Despite riding a wave of hype into 2019, the new Ford Ranger got off to a sluggish start upon its reintroduction to the United States. The first quarter of last year saw only 9,241 Rangers sold compared to the Chevy Colorado’s mark of 33,494, not to mention the class-leading Toyota Tacoma’s volume of 58,183 units moved. The story is different in 2020, though, as Ranger sales skyrocketed 123 percent, putting it just behind the Colorado in Q1 sales figures.
Amidst the pandemic, sales for virtually every other midsize pickup—except the Jeep Gladiator—were down significantly. The Tacoma’s numbers fell 7.81 percent year-over-year, while the Colorado took a 36.02-percent hit. Alas, the Ranger now sits in third place behind the Toyota and Chevrolet, respectively.
While looking at an overall sales chart shows an even more massive uptick for the Gladiator, it had only just been released to the public in Q1 2019. As such, a total of 123 units were moved compared to this year’s 15,259 Q1 volume. If you’re wondering, that’s a 12,305.68-percent leap.
The second quarter of 2020 could be a matter of two steps forward, one step back, though, with the coronavirus lockdown dishing a crucial blow to the global auto industry. Although automakers have rolled out zero-percent financing on loans as long as 84 months, buyers are still few and far between. While the U.S. has withstood the near-complete absence have sales that plagued most of Europe, the picture still isn’t a pretty one for Detroit’s Big Three.
h/t: Ford Authority
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