2021 Ford Maverick ute leaked

An image of the all-new 2021 Ford Maverick has surfaced online that appears to show a late-stage prototype of the Focus-based pick-up being built on its Mexican-based production line.

Revealing its face for the first time, the pic leaked by a user on the Maverick Truck Club shows how the Blue Oval's small ute will get its own unique front-end design featuring distinct headlights and grille treatment, rather than borrowing directly from the Ford Bronco Sport that is also based on the Focus' C2 platform.

Created to rival small trucks like the RAM 700 and the Fiat Strada available elsewhere, the brash C-shaped lamps, oversized grille and the snub-nosed and squared-off looks mimic the much larger full-size Ford F-150 pick-up truck.

It will clearly be offered with a dual-cab body and, it's believed, a long load bed, while under the bonnet engines are expected to be shared with the Bronco Sport and Escape SUVs.

That means the modern day take on a Subaru Brumby should initially come with a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine that will push out 182kW and 373Nm of torque.

Later on, the ute aimed at lifestyle buyers could even come with the 2.3-litre turbo that lives under the bonnet of the Ford Focus ST or Mustang EcoBoost.

If so, the small ute could pack a punchy 236kW/448Nm – easily enough for a sub-6.0sec 0-100km/h sprint.

A more modest 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo (134kW/258Nm) is also on the cards.

There's no word yet on payload, but we expect a toughened-up version of the Ford Bronco Sport's suspension should see it lug up to 800kg, while the higher-powered variants should come with all-wheel drive with a decent towing rating.

Inside, expect Ford's latest ‘SYNC 4’ touch-screen infotainment system with over-the-air system updates, plus potentially a few surprises in the tray to make life easier, such as novel storage solutions.

The US car-maker is yet to officially confirm the Ford Maverick exists, so its potential for right-hand drive production and sales in Australia remain the subject of speculation.

In the US and Mexico, meanwhile, sales of the small ute are set to kick off around the fourth quarter of 2021.