In 2012 the federal fuel economy standards were changed to no longer consider the classification of vehicle, but just its footprint. So suddenly a Corolla had less-strict fuel economy requirements than a small truck.

So the Ranger, Dakota, S-10, etc were all discontinued, and manufacturers learned that the easiest way to meet fuel economy standards was to make the vehicles bigger every time the requirements increase.

It’s also why around 2022, every small cargo van (NV200, Transit Express, ProMaster City) stopped being produced. It’s also why the Maverick has the “standard” model as the hybrid while the one you can actually find at the dealers is the “upgrade” traditional engine.