From this spy shot, the Ford Maverick pickup truck doesn’t look much smaller than a Ranger. (Screen shot from video on the Pickup Truck + SUV Talk YouTube channel taken by Brian Williams)
After years of trucks getting bigger and bigger, we have to wonder if customers will run out to buy a compact pickup truck. So, naturally, with the recent spotting of a camouflaged 2022 Ford Maverick, we have to take a closer look at this truck and ask a few questions.
The Maverick will be based on the Ford compact car platform with a unibody construction and rear independent suspension. It will be offered in both all-wheel and front-wheel drive, which will come at a lower cost. We know it will be smaller than the Ranger, but we don’t know how much smaller. From the video below, frankly, it doesn’t look terribly small.
Because of the unibody construction, the Ford Maverick will have to be reinforced with a buttress to accommodate loads in the back, just like the Honda Ridgeline. We also know it will come in multiple trim levels (Lariat is shown in the spy video), but we highly doubt Ford will offer the King Ranch or other premium trims since the goal is a budget-friendly truck.
Rumor has it, the truck will start at less than $20k. That’s really good news for anyone who was excited about the Ranger, then disappointed to find it costs almost as much as an F-150. We’re hoping for a mid-$20k range for upper trims like Lariat and a $25k max.
You’ll remember just a year or two ago Ford dumped most of its cars because they just weren’t selling. The automaker has decided to focus on trucks and SUVs, and customers have been asking for a small affordable truck.
The gamble for Ford is volume. The Hyundai Santa Cruz coming out as a competitor and the Honda Ridgeline, which has been around for a while, hasn’t sold that all that well.
City dwellers seems to be the target market, but if you live in the city, why not wait for an electric truck like a Rivian?
Will the trim levels be more like the Bronco? Will there be leather inside? Will it be a 10-speed with a 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine like the Bronco? How will the truck being built in Mexico and imported to America affect the consumer perception? And, more important, will it finally be the pickup truck that pushes past the 30 MPG point for combined driving?
We don’t have answers. Yet. But we hope to soon, so stay tuned. And tell us: What questions do you have about the 2022 Ford Maverick?
Spy video footage by Brian Williams. Used with permission.
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Doesn’t look very small, did Ford forget about the courier truck from the 70’s? We need that kind of small truck again! As usual, they blew it again!
I was wondering the same. I can’t imagine, looking at this, that it will be any smaller than a Ranger!