Lucas Bell 
For months now, rumors about a smaller pickup truck offering from Ford have swirled. Known to many as the Ford Maverick, this unibody pickup truck is slated to undercut the industry’s mid-size offerings on sale today in both size and price. MC&T has reported that the truck will be built on the same C2 Platform as the Bronco Sport SUV, and as such it will be constructed at Ford’s Hermosillo plant in Mexico. Spy photos captured at the plant back this theory up, but now it appears we have some more concrete evidence straight from Ford. According to a report from CNBC, Ford built 21 examples of what they are calling the “C-Pick Up” last month.
Plenty of evidence, including a tailgate stamped with the “Maverick” name, indicates that this “C-Pick Up” is the upcoming white space truck that’s been hotly anticipated for a year or two now by those watching closely.
This information comes by way of the automaker’s own monthly production data, which was shared with investors on Wednesday. While the automaker has refused to answer any specific questions about these trucks, the data confirms the “C-Pick Up” models were indeed built at the Hermosillo plant. This early batch of 2022 Ford Maverick pickups, known as “Job 1 builds”, are likely prototype vehicles which the automaker will use for testing purposes. This keeps in line with previous reports that suggest the automaker plans to debut the truck during the second half of 2021 as a 2022 model year product. We saw a similar timeline involved when the automaker first started building Bronco Sport in Mexico as well.
While official details about the Ford Maverick are seemingly nonexistent at this time, that doesn’t mean we don’t have a pretty good idea of what to expect. As noted above, the truck will share the same C2 Platform underpinnings as the Bronco Sport and Escape models. Don’t be entirely surprised if the Maverick borrows a bit of hardware from the Transit Connect, however. Unlike the Baby Bronco, we expect the base Ford Maverick to arrive in FWD guise, with an AWD system coming as an option. Due to its shared platform with the Bronco Sport, it is also expected that the truck will utilize a similar powertrain lineup. This means both the 1.5L EcoBoost and the 2.0L EcoBoost engines could be found under the hood. A manual gearbox is even a possibility.
As both full-size and mid-size pickup trucks continue to grow in size and price, the Ford Maverick is poised to offer buyers a fresh take on the truck market. Dealer sources tipped Automotive News last year that the 2022 Ford Maverick will arrive with a base price under $20,000, in order to leave some breathing room for the $24,820 Ford Ranger, which is also expected to enter a new generation in a year or two.
This price point would put the truck in line with the EcoSport CUV, Ford’s current entry level offering. As 2021 continues to unfold, more details about Ford’s “C-Pick Up” are sure to come to the surface.
Is a compact pickup truck like the Ford Maverick just what the American market needs? Let us know down below.
Very disappointed that Ford is not offering the Maverick in a two door version with
a more useful bed capacity. The tiny bed on this four door version seems to have
very little use as a “pickup truck”. Would love another truck offering the size and
versatility of my 2010 Ranger.
Uh, it’s a fwd/unibody pretending to be something it’s not
Yes it would be nice if they would offer it with a standard cab and in a natural 2.0 and a stick.
Bare bone model at 18,995.00