SPY PICS: Ford Maverick baby ute hits the road
Blue Oval’s highly-anticipated new compact ute spotted testing ahead of global debutThe 2022 Ford Maverick ute has been spotted testing in the US.
Ford’s all-new car-based baby ute was captured by spy photographers undergoing development work this week.
The monocoque chassis-based Ford Maverick dual-cab is due to be revealed later this year, and will slot beneath the Aussie-developed Ranger and the full-size F-150 pick-up in Ford’s US line-up.
At this stage, the Mexican-built Ford Maverick is not destined for Australia, although Ford is yet to rule it out for right-hand drive production.
The latest shots reveal even more design parallels between the Ford Maverick and the Ford F-150, including a bold grille and signature ‘big truck’ design cues.
The Ford Maverick is also destined to share more than a passing resemblance with the Ford Bronco Sport, with which it shares its C2 platform.
That means a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine (182kW/373Nm) is a likely starter, as well as the potential for a more potent 2.3-litre turbo-petrol engine (236kW/448Nm) – as seen in the US-spec Ford Ranger, which was also recently spied testing in next-generation T7 guise.
A petrol-electric hybrid powertrain is also likely to be offered during its lifecycle, however, diesel power isn’t on the radar for Ford’s new compact ute. Nor is a huge towing capacity, as dictated by the ute’s car-derived suspension package.
The new Ford Maverick is among a new wave of smaller car-based utes to emerge, especially in the Americas, as buyers downsize from bigger trucks while others upgrade from small SUVs and passenger cars.
In line with this thinking, the Maverick’s cabin is set to benefit from Ford’s newest SYNC 4 touch-screen infotainment system as seen in the latest Ford F-150, with plenty of connectivity features such as over-the-air system updates and wireless smartphone mirroring for iOS and Android devices.
While the new Ford Maverick will initially be produced only in left-hand drive for the US, Canada and Mexico, its Australian fate is yet to be sealed.
Related: More uncovered Spy Pics cars here
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