Photo: Stefan Baldauf / SB-Medien
Used on many Ford products since the 1970 model year, the Maverick nameplate is coming back for 2022 as a unibody pickup with underpinnings from the Escape. Scheduled to be produced in Mexico at the same factory where Ford makes the Bronco Sport, the small truck is said to be a four-door affair only.
Citing sources familiar with the Blue Oval’s product plans, Ford Authority understands that SuperCrew is the only cabin option available. When you think about it, the Dearborn-based automaker is right to keep things simple because the Ranger is available as a SuperCab with a 6-foot-long (1.82-meter) bed.
Also expected with a sliding rear window, the Maverick has been photographed with twist-beam suspension and coil springs at the rear axle rather than a multi-link setup. The design is pretty similar to the Transit Connect, which is officially rated at 2,000 pounds (907 kilograms) in terms of towing and 1,570 pounds (712 kilograms) for the payload capacity.
Just like the Explorer Sport Trac that was discontinued a decade ago, the cargo area of the Maverick leaves much to be desired. A dirt bike like the Honda CRF450X measures a little more than 7 feet (2.1 meters), which means that you may also find it hard to transport the motorcycle with the tailgate down.
Because it shares a lot with the Escape and Bronco Sport, rumor has it the 1.5-liter turbo three-cylinder EcoBoost will be offered as the base engine in conjunction with an eight-speed automatic transmission. Ideally, however, the Maverick would get the 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder EcoBoost that develops 245 horsepower and 275 pound-feet (372 Nm) of peak torque at 3,000 rpm.
And now, the most pressing question: how much will the unibody pickup cost? Bear in mind the Escape currently retails from $24,885 while the Bronco Sport is $26,660, and the Ranger SuperCrew starts at $26,810 - all excluding freight. Word has it the Blue Oval is eyeing an MSRP of $20,000 or thereabouts. Still, at that price point, I wouldn’t hold my breath for too much standard kit.
Also expected with a sliding rear window, the Maverick has been photographed with twist-beam suspension and coil springs at the rear axle rather than a multi-link setup. The design is pretty similar to the Transit Connect, which is officially rated at 2,000 pounds (907 kilograms) in terms of towing and 1,570 pounds (712 kilograms) for the payload capacity.
Just like the Explorer Sport Trac that was discontinued a decade ago, the cargo area of the Maverick leaves much to be desired. A dirt bike like the Honda CRF450X measures a little more than 7 feet (2.1 meters), which means that you may also find it hard to transport the motorcycle with the tailgate down.
Because it shares a lot with the Escape and Bronco Sport, rumor has it the 1.5-liter turbo three-cylinder EcoBoost will be offered as the base engine in conjunction with an eight-speed automatic transmission. Ideally, however, the Maverick would get the 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder EcoBoost that develops 245 horsepower and 275 pound-feet (372 Nm) of peak torque at 3,000 rpm.
And now, the most pressing question: how much will the unibody pickup cost? Bear in mind the Escape currently retails from $24,885 while the Bronco Sport is $26,660, and the Ranger SuperCrew starts at $26,810 - all excluding freight. Word has it the Blue Oval is eyeing an MSRP of $20,000 or thereabouts. Still, at that price point, I wouldn’t hold my breath for too much standard kit.
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