HERMOSILLO, MEXICO - Just a month after the upcoming Ford Maverick showed off its Ranger-like shape and rear styling in the first undisguised spy picture, we now get to see how it looks from the front thanks to what appears to be a snap from the vehicle’s assembly line in Mexico.
Although the new compact bakkie will be built on a front-wheel drive unibody platform, the Maverick shares many of its design cues with its bigger brothers, including the next-generation Ranger if recent renderings are to be believed, as well as the Bronco Sport, upon which the newcomer is said to be based.
The new frontal pic, below, was first posted on the net by the Maverick Truck Club, the existence of which shows that the upcoming ‘trucklet’ already has something of a following despite the fact that it hasn’t even been revealed yet.
The 2022 @Ford Maverick looks promising, based on a LEAKED factory floor photo from Ford's Hermosillo, Mexico, plant where it'll be built. https://t.co/NgL9YpWHZS
— motortrend (@MotorTrend) January 8, 2021
However, the Maverick is likely to show itself to the world sometime this year, although at this stage there is no indication on whether it will ever reach South African shores.
The technical specs are of course still under wraps for now, however Motor Report recently speculated that the Maverick bakkie would offer the same pair of turbopetrol engines as the Bronco Sport, these being a 1.5-litre three-cylinder unit with 134kW and a 2-litre four-pot that’s good for 186kW. While entry versions will likely be front-wheel-driven to save costs, the bigger-engined models will no doubt offer permanent all-wheel drive - likely with some of the Bronco Sport’s off-road tech thrown in too.
The publication also said that pricing in the US could come in around the $20 000 mark (around R300 000), which would make it $4000 (R60 000) cheaper than the entry-level Ranger model. However, that does not necessarily mean it would enjoy a similar price advantage in South Africa, given that the latter is built here.