Reworked Ford Maverick revealed, but still a right-hand-drive no-no

A runaway sales success since its debut in North America three years ago, Ford has given its compact Maverick bakkie its first mid-life facelift ahead of the commencing of sales before year-end.

What’s new?

Only bettered by the F-series as the Blue Oval’s best-selling bakkie in the States last year, the unibody Maverick’s exterior changes comprises a redesigned front bumper, restyled LED headlight with a darkened appearance, new grille designs based on trim level, and an optional black styling package.

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Still offered in four trim levels; XL, XLT, Lariat and the off-road focused Tremor introduced two years ago, 19-inch alloy wheels now come standard on the Lariat, with the final external change being a revised colour palette, of which no details were provided of.

Underneath, the C2 platform, which underpins the soon-to-be-discontinued Focus, continues without change, although a new addition is the so-called 4K Tow Package that makes its possible to tow 4 000 pounds or 1 814 kg.

Regardless of the powertrain, payload ranges from 635 kg to 680 kg with the standard tow rating being 907 kg.

Inside

Inside, all models gain a new 13.2-inch SYNC 4A touchscreen infotainment system in place of the old eight-inch display, still with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Now fitted with the 360-degree surround-view camera system from the F-150, Auto High Beam Assist LED headlights, Automatic Emergency Braking and Lane Keeping Assist are included, while only the Lariat and Tremor are privy Adaptive Cruise Control, Traffic Sign Recognition and Lane Centering.

Additional options are the Pro Trailer Hitch Assist and Pro Trailer Backup Assist system, though again not on the Lariat and Tremor where both are included from the start.

Reportedly due to customer demand, a new Aspen Grey/Navy Pier upholstery colour with blue accents can be had on the XLT, while Smoke Truffle with bronze inserts features on the Lariat.

Petrol or hybrid

Up front, the Maverick retains the 2.0 EcoBoost and 2.5-litre hybrid powerunits, but with the option of all-wheel-drive for the first time on the latter.

Respective power and torque figures are unchanged at 140kW/210Nm for the latter and 177kW/373Nm for the former, as are the transmission choices of a CVT and an eight-speed automatic.

Sorry South Africa

Now available for ordering price from $26 295 (R478 131), the Maverick remains a left-hand-drive only model as and such, won’t be coming to South Africa despite reported mounting interest from the local market and Australia.

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