We should see the 2022 Ford Maverick in its official production form sometime this year.
We’re nearly there, folks. After renderings and tailgate stampings and heavily camouflaged spy shots, these photos give us the best look we’ve had at the real deal so far. Slotting in beneath the Ranger, the new Maverick is a small pickup sitting beneath the Ranger. Underneath, it’s built on the same bones that comprise the Escape crossover and the new Bronco Sport. As far as we know, Ford intends to build it at the same Hermosillo, Mexico plant as the Bronco Sport, which only just ramped up its production for this model year.
Since we’re talking about a unibody crossover platform here, that also tells us what to expect in terms of powertrains and capability. Both crossovers utilize Ford’s smaller 1.5-liter and 2.0-liter EcoBoost four cylinder engines. Depending on which one you choose, you get either 180 or 245 horsepower, respectively. Putting the latter in the 2022 Ford Maverick would actually make the small truck fairly peppy, considering it will be smaller in stature and weight than its body-on-frame Ranger sibling. Mind you, though it could sit on something close to the Escape’s 106.7-inch wheelbase, it will be physically longer to accommodate what looks like a five-foot-ish bed (something comparable to a midsize truck, at least).
From what we can see here, the 2022 Ford Maverick does indeed crib a styling cue or two from the Bronco Sport crossover. There’s a bar straight across the grille, flanked by C-shaped headlights that do show some resemblance to the latest generation of Ford’s larger trucks. From what we’ve seen so far, the next-gen Ranger is moving in a similar direction. The truck we mainly see in these photos appears to be an all-wheel drive model, since it appears to have fully independent suspension at all four corners. We suspect the front-wheel drive models (like a Honda Ridgeline, you should be able to get a FWD version if you want) will use torsion beam rear suspension, and what little we can see of the other Maverick in some of the photos suggest that is indeed the case.
Payload, towing and price?
Even though it’s not a body-on-frame construction, the 2022 Ford Maverick is still built to tow, as evidenced by the hitch receiver and wiring harness as part of a factory package. Odds are it will be somewhere in the 2,000 pound range, bearing in mind the small-displacement engines. Payload will almost definitely fall short of the Ranger, which comes in between 1,600 and about 2,100 pounds. Here, the 2022 Ford Maverick will likely manage somewhere around 1,200 pounds, but that’s just a guess.
As for pricing, the new Ford Maverick should start somewhere in the low to mid-$20,000 range, since the Ranger currently kicks off at about $26,000 with destination charges.
Here are some more thoughts and first impressions on this Ford Maverick prototype.
