Photo: The Fast Lane Truck
Filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office four years ago, Maverick is a nameplate that Ford hasn’t used since 2005 when the Escape used to be sold with this badge on the Old Continent. The newcomer, however, is on the horizon with a unibody architecture as well as a bed out the back.
To be sold in the United States as the smaller and less capable brother of the Ranger, the Maverick is also said to feature a “small sliding rear window” according to Ford Authority. If you think about the larger pickup trucks sold by the Blue Oval, this feature surely makes a lot of sense.
It should be highlighted, however, that FoMoCo didn’t officially confirm anything in this regard, not even what the automaker is planning to do with the Maverick trademark. Thankfully, a CAD rendering of a tailgate pretty much confirms that a unibody workhorse is currently under development.
C2 is how the platform is called, and it underpins a lot of models from all across the world. The European version of the Focus, the Kuga, the Escape, and also the Lincoln Corsair come to mind, along with the all-new Bronco Sport. In other words, an eight-speed automatic box is pretty much a given.
Beyond the transmission, it’s safe to assume that the 2.0-liter EcoBoost from the Escape and Bronco Sport will make the cut as well. It’s an adequate engine for this application, but Ford may surprise us again by offering a hybrid option as well. Or a plug-in hybrid considering that the Escape is available with both powertrains. As a brief refresher, the HEV and PHEV rely on an Atkinson-cycle, free-breathing engine that displaces 2.5 liters.
Expected to start at $20,000 or thereabouts, the Maverick is also said to enter production in 2022 in Mexico at the Hermosillo plant where the Bronco Sport is made. The southern neighbor is also the home of the Mustang Mach-E.
It should be highlighted, however, that FoMoCo didn’t officially confirm anything in this regard, not even what the automaker is planning to do with the Maverick trademark. Thankfully, a CAD rendering of a tailgate pretty much confirms that a unibody workhorse is currently under development.
C2 is how the platform is called, and it underpins a lot of models from all across the world. The European version of the Focus, the Kuga, the Escape, and also the Lincoln Corsair come to mind, along with the all-new Bronco Sport. In other words, an eight-speed automatic box is pretty much a given.
Beyond the transmission, it’s safe to assume that the 2.0-liter EcoBoost from the Escape and Bronco Sport will make the cut as well. It’s an adequate engine for this application, but Ford may surprise us again by offering a hybrid option as well. Or a plug-in hybrid considering that the Escape is available with both powertrains. As a brief refresher, the HEV and PHEV rely on an Atkinson-cycle, free-breathing engine that displaces 2.5 liters.
Expected to start at $20,000 or thereabouts, the Maverick is also said to enter production in 2022 in Mexico at the Hermosillo plant where the Bronco Sport is made. The southern neighbor is also the home of the Mustang Mach-E.
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