DETROIT — Ford is making plans for a return to the small pickup truck market in the U.S. with a new version of the Ranger.

The company is negotiating with the United Auto Workers about making the truck at a factory in the Detroit suburb of Wayne, a person briefed on the matter said Wednesday. A new small SUV that may be called the Bronco also is under discussion, said the person, who asked not to be identified.

The Wayne factory, which Ford calls the Michigan Assembly Plant, employs more than 4,400 workers. It makes the Focus compact and C-Max gas-electric hybrid. Ford is expected to move those products to a lower-cost factory in Mexico in 2018, but has yet to confirm the move.

“We actively are pursuing future vehicle alternatives to produce at Michigan Assembly and will discuss this issue with UAW leadership as part of the upcoming negotiations,” spokeswoman Kristina Adamski said Wednesday in a statement.

The UAW opened contract talks with all three Detroit-area automakers last month. The contracts expire Sept. 14.

In the 1990s, Americans bought more than 1 million small pickups every year, attracted by their lower prices, reasonable gas mileage and ability to haul light loads. Sales tumbled when bigger pickups, such as the Ford F-150, caught up in fuel economy.