It has been a long time since North America has seen a style car known as the UTE, but Ford could be bringing one back.

UTEs are basically the best of both worlds between a pickup truck and a traditional car. They have the long flatbed of a truck, but are built lower to the ground like a car and are significantly lighter, making them more maneuverable. Rumour has it that Ford will bring a new compact truck to the US by 2022 and, according to Automobile Magazine, it would be based on the next generation Ford Focus platform.

It wouldn't be the first time Ford has jumped into this market either. Many will remember the days of the Ranchero, which was, unfortunately, discontinued. That was a long time ago, however, and now, the move makes a lot of sense for Ford because the sale of small trucks is up worldwide. Making these vehicles more compact just allows for an option that is more accessible to those that are interested in a truck's utility, but not the size or their fuel economy.

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This move is likely in response to General Motors' Chevy Colorado selling extremely well this year. By offering a UTE in all regions, Ford will have the market cornered as GM dropped their UTE line in Australia last year, replacing it with the imported-Colorado under a different name. Yet Ford still has a commanding lead overall when it comes to the sale of pickups. The F series of Ford trucks is actually selling at a record high rate in 2018.

While Ford may be the first to enter the compact truck market in North America in some time, Subaru was the last notable automaker to sell a UTE in this market with the Baja (which ended production in 2006). Since then, the El Camino has been a collector's car that motorheads lust after. If the rumored Ranchero sells well, we may see the market shift to adding these car-truck hybrids to more automakers portfolios.

This is certainly a niche market ready to be exploited.

NEXT: WHY THE UTE SHOULD MAKE A RETURN TO NORTH AMERICA