Compact pickup expected in 2021 or 2022
Would be first truly compact pickup in US/Canada in decades
We’ve been hearing rumours about Ford introducing a smaller unibody pickup badged Maverick for quite some time, but now there’s much more evidence of it. Someone has spotted the vehicle in the metal, snagging photos of the truck at what looks to be a Ford testing and development site.
The photos, snagged by a reader and posted to Motor1.com, show what looks to be a compact pickup that looks smaller than the Ford Ranger, though a little bit similar in appearance. This is just a bare metal shell, with no trim or interior, or even wheels, so it’s difficult to be sure on the proportions and detailing, but this is definitely a small truck and that’s unmistakably Maverick stamped in the tailgate.
It’s expected to be on the same platform that underpins the Focus (elsewhere), Escape, and Bronco Sport, and so there could be a front-drive version, though we’d expect all-wheel drive to be on the menu.
A poster to GMInsidenews.com who has previously been reliable reports that the Ford Maverick will be offered in XL, XLT, and Lariat trim levels offering a 1.5L I3 and a 2.0L four as well as a 2.5L hybrid driveline. Those are the same engine options available in the Escape, so it doesn’t seem like much of a stretch for it to be accurate.
The remaining question, though, is what will buyers think? Ford stayed out of the compact/midsize pickup market for nearly a decade over fears of cutting into F-150 sales, and there hasn’t been a truly small pickup sold in Canada or the US for decades. This one would mark a sharp change to that and possibly create a new segment.
