Ford and VW to co-develop Ranger replacement

Ford and Volkswagen have announced they will join forces to develop vans and pick-ups for global markets along with sharing costs to develop their next-generation of pure-electric and autonomous vehicles.

Making the announcement at the Detroit motor show overnight, the car-makers confirmed the first products launched as part of the global alliance will arrive in 2022.

The two car-makers didn't confirm to journalists which vehicle would arrive but it's thought the mid-sized pick-up that will be introduced will be an all-new replacement for the Ford Ranger and the Volkswagen Amarok.

Likely to arrive around the same time will be a Volkswagen van based on the Ford Transit platform.

As well as working together on commercial vehicles, the two car-makers confirmed a memorandum of understanding has been signed to "investigate collaboration" on electric and autonomous vehicles.

Additional vehicle programs will also be considered, senior Ford and VW execs confirmed.

As part of the tech sharing arrangement, the collaboration will be governed by a joint board headed by Ford boss Jim Hackett and VW chief Herbert Diess.

It's thought Ford will benefit most from the new partnership as it will give the Blue Oval access to the Volkswagen Group's pure-electric MEB platform that will underpin the forthcoming range of ID models.

Ford desperately needs a range of EVs for Europe to protect itself from the backlash against diesels and petrols that face bans from cities like Paris and Madrid in the near future.

Commenting on the deal, the Volkswagen boss Herbert Diess claimed the global alliance "will be a cornerstone for our drive to improve competitiveness".