Everyone is mad about crossovers, but over in the United States, the pickup towers over all types of passenger vehicles. Following in the footsteps of the Honda Ridgeline and Hyundai Santa Cruz, the Ford Motor Company is trying to attract crossover buyers with the new Maverick.
Manufactured in Mexico alongside the Bronco Sport, the compact pickup with a unibody construction wouldn’t look out of place with the front fascia, headlights, and taillights of the Bronco Sport. There is, however, a problem with this marvelous design study from Brazilian concept artist Kleber Silva.
Ford knows the Bronco Sport is a squared-off Escape with better off-road capability, and many people cry “sellout” whenever they see one. Aside from alienating prospective customers, the Mexican model doesn't hold a candle to the Bronco with the ladder-frame chassis of the next-generation Ranger.
Mark Grueber, the consumer marketing manager for the U.S. market, let it slip that a pickup isn't off the cards for the Bronco brand. Almost a year ago, he said that the Blue Oval “will continue to look where there are customers we could satisfy with the Bronco and how to continue to expand the brand in the future.” Considering how many firm orders the mid-size model has received thus far, a Bronco Sport-based trucklet doesn’t make too much sense.
What’s more, a body-on-frame pickup would be the perfect reply to the Jeep Gladiator, which is extremely versatile in Rubicon flavor. The Wrangler-styled pickup is also due to receive a PHEV option for the 2022 model year, and the four-door Wrangler JLU prepares to roll out an all-electric powertrain.
Turning our attention back to the Dearborn-based automaker, none other than Ford has teased a Bronco-like pickup in the following clip. One of the designers in the video states that we’re looking at loose design sketches for brainstorming purposes, but we all know a pickup is pretty much inevitable.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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