Small truck fans can rejoice as spy photographers have snapped some revealing pictures of the 2022 Ford Maverick. Caught undergoing testing in Michigan, the Maverick will slot below the Ranger and battle the upcoming Hyundai Santa Cruz. Ford hasn’t said much about the model, but we can see it will have a single bar grille with turn signals at the outside edges. The model also sports C-shaped headlights and a black plastic front bumper.
Continuing down the sides, there’s
streamlined bodywork and a relatively flat beltline that eschews the ‘front
door dip’ found on F-Series pickups. Designers also gave the model plastic body
cladding, sizeable wheels and a practical crew cab configuration.
There’s a short bed out back, and it
appears to have plastic cladding that wraps around the top and goes up the
C-pillars. We can also see production taillights and a tiny sliding rear
window. Last but not least, there’s a receiver that suggests Ford hasn’t
forgotten about towing.
Specifications remain shrouded in secrecy,
but the model is expected to borrow heavily from the Escape and Bronco Sport.
This means the truck could be offered with an entry-level 1.5-liter EcoBoost
three-cylinder that produces 180 hp and 240 Nm of
torque. There could also be a 2.0-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder with 250 hp and 373 Nm of torque. Both should be connected to an
eight-speed automatic transmission, which can be paired to an optional
all-wheel drive system. If that hasn’t won you over, pricing could start at
less than US$ 20,000.
