Everyone’s eyes have been peeled on the revived Ford Bronco for the last couple of months that others seemed to have forgotten everything about the other Blue Oval model that’s also being prepared for release—the new Maverick.
Originally built in 1969 and released in North America until 1977, the model was offered as a sedan or coupe to customers at a time when pickup trucks were hardly noticed and SUVs did not exist. But for its long-awaited return, the new Maverick will be built as a compact pickup truck.
So far, the only thing Ford has confirmed about the returning Maverick is that it will be positioned below the Ranger in the lineup. That is, until photos of the model were leaked in a Maverick Chat forum just recently.
In the photos, the model is standing right next to the Ford Ranger, with the Maverick clearly shown as the smaller between the two.
Other than that, nothing more can be gleaned from the photo as the prototype is still heavily camouflaged. But eagle-eyed experts are expecting the model to be equipped with a smaller bed than the Ranger.
The front end may have not revealed anything about the model, but the rear end lends a glimpse of some of the components customers can expect. These include the suspension parts placed below the rear bumper, structural elements, coil springs, absorbers as well as a spare tire underneath the truck bed.
Judging by the low ride height, it’s safe to assume the Maverick will feature a low-slung exhaust system, which could only suggest intensive off-roading capability.
Moreover, the new Maverick will reportedly share the same unibody platform that underpins the Ford Escape and Bronco Sport, although there are also reports that the compact pickup truck will also share some of the features found on the Ford Transit Connect, particularly the 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that delivers up to 162 horsepower.
The revamped Maverick is expected to arrive for the 2022 model year with production arranged to take place at Ford’s Hermosillo plant in Mexico.
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