Ford Motor Co., as expected, is dropping the Ranger compact pickup from its U.S. lineup after the 2011 model year, Automotive News reported.

Ford is consolidating its global pickup truck platforms from three to two with the introduction of an all-new Ranger to be sold outside North America next year.

The new Ranger will be unveiled at the Sydney auto show in Australia next month.

Demand for compact pickups has been shrinking in the United States. Ford spokesman Mark Schirmer said the automaker decided several years ago to invest in and market a wider range of F-150 pickups, including V-6 versions.

The new Ranger is also closer in size to the current F-150 sold in the United States.

The compact Ranger debuted in the United States in 1982 and later spawned the Explorer SUV.

Ranger demand peaked in 1999 at about 348,000 trucks, but sales dropped to 55,600 last year.

Ford previously announced plans to close the St. Paul, Minn., plant where the Ranger is assembled but never confirmed whether the Ranger would be continued.

The Ranger also has been popular with fleet customers, and Shirmer said Ford hopes to convince some users to consider the Ford Transit Connect van when the small pickup is discontinued.