The 2022 Ford Maverick is going to come out in a big way. It may literally be bigger than expected for a compact pickup truck! The term Maverick is already being taken from a classic Ford car to be revived as a truck. So, let’s check out what we can expect so far. 

The 2022 Ford Maverick is almost here 

A few spy shots have been discovered that show us a bigger picture of the 2022 Ford Maverick. Some photos were shared by Motor1, that let the cat out of the bag. But unfortunately, they were too hot to handle and were asked to be taken down.

But that’s alright. We can just go over them by memory. The spy shots showed a little compact truck that had four doors! Like the Subaru Baja, the unibody frame was complete with four doors and a small truck bed. 

According to AutoBlog, the Ford Maverick will have a pretty short bed. It could be 24 to 30 inches shorter than the Ford Rangers’ bed, depending on the configuration. The SuperCrew Ranger has a 61-inch bed, making a 42-inch bed for the Maverick an excellent guess to start with. 

For some reason, we expected a true mini truck with only two doors to come out. Ford has a history of debuting mini trucks in other countries like the Ford Bantam and Ford Falcon. Other small utes have been built on the Ford Fiesta platform like the Maverick is expected to be. 

What we know about the Ford Maverick 

So, the Maverick will be small, but not super small. It seems like it will be a little shorter and slightly narrower than the current Ford Ranger. This will allow about four adults to sit in the cab comfortably and will allow the Maverick to still have plenty of muscle for truck activities. 

Rumors suggest that the Maverick could be based on the Ford Transit Connect van. While we hope for a powerful all-wheel drive truck, the suspension looks like it’s set up for front-wheel drive, without the ability to send power to the rear axles. But if the Ford Maverick is built on the Ford Escape frame, like the Bronco Sport is, then AWD will be provided. 

Under the hood, you could find a few turbocharged options. A 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine or a larger 2.0-liter inline-four engine would do the job. However, the Ford Focus ST has a turbocharged 2.3-liter engine with 280 hp, so let’s hope for that one. 

If Ford goes with the front-drive platform from the previous generation of the Transit Connect, then you could find a 2.0-liter engine with 162 hp or a more powerful turbocharged 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine with 180 hp. The base model of the Ford Bronco Sport has the 1.5-liter Ecoboost I3 engine and provides 181 hp, which serves as a good clue. 

That’s a lot of engine possibilities. They could be paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission, but with the outcry to offer the Bronco with more manual options, Ford knows that fans will want a 6-speed manual configuration as well. 

When will we know more about the Maverick? 

We hope to learn more about the new Ford Maverick soon. It’s expected to launch in early 2022, but that’s if the ongoing Coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19) doesn’t cause any delays. But on a positive note, the Maverick is expected to be very affordable. 

The Ranger currently starts around $24,820, so the Maverick should cost less. But how low can it go? $21,000? $19,000? I guess we will have to wait and see. Also, building the Maverick in Mexico would allow Ford to sell it in key areas like the United States, Brazil, and more without the chicken tax.