The smallest of the Ford pickups debuts June 8 at 6:00 AM ET.
Trucks are big in the United States, both literally and figuratively. Ford is looking to take advantage of the segment’s immense potential furthermore by downsizing the recipe for a sub-Ranger model. Dusting off a name introduced in the 1970s for a couple of sedans and last used on the Euro-spec Escape in the early 2000s, Maverick will target those who think good things do come in small packages.
It will go up against a fresh new face in North America’s truck segment, the Hyundai Santa Cruz. While the South Korean unibody pickup was subjected to a multi-year teaser campaign, the Blue Oval had a short-and-to-the-point preview in the build-up to the Maverick’s world premiere. Teased only once last week, the compact truck is ready to break cover and will be going on sale this fall.
Gallery: Ford Maverick Base Model Spy Shots
Recent spy shots have shown it will be visibly smaller than the Ranger and that it will likely come exclusively in a four-door Super Crew flavor. Ford’s own preview of the little truck that could featured an XLT badge on the front fender and a “Hybrid” logo on the tailgate, so we have a general idea of what to expect from the 2022 Maverick.
The compact truck is rumored to start at under $20,000, which if true, will come as a breath of fresh air in a sea of large and expensive trucks featuring luxury-car levels of equipment. That would make it cheaper than the EcoSport (yes, it’s still around), effectively turning the Maverick into Ford’s entry-level model stateside what with the Fiesta and Focus long gone.
Logic tells us it will be mechanically related to the Escape but with some off-road chops inherited from the platform-sharing Bronco Sport. Production will take place in Mexico where the smaller of the two Broncos is assembled.
We can’t help but wonder whether the decision taken by Ford and Hyundai to introduce a compact truck will prompt Stellantis to fight back. It already has such a truck in Latin America where it’s selling the Ram 1000 as a rebadged version of the Fiat Toro.
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