Ford Bantam
Spied in bare metal last year after the confirmation of its name via a leaked image of the tailgate, a single snap of Ford’s eagerly awaited Bantam successor, the Maverick, has turned-up overnight showing a more complete picture of the Blue Oval’s all-new bakkie that will slot-in below the Ranger.
Somehow obtained and published by the Maverick Truck Club online forum, the depiction shows the Maverick without doors and wearing the ubiquitous black-and-white wrapping on the assembly line of the Hermosillo Plant in Mexico, and in double cab bodystyle only in an apparent confirmation of previous reports.
Set to ride on the same C2 platform as the Focus and Bronco Sport, the latter build in the same factory, the Maverick, unsurprisingly, appears a lot bigger than the Bantam with the front facia being dominated by and F-150-style grille, Bronco Sport derived headlights, a chunky front bumper and black alloy wheels. As indicated previously, the rear will take after the Ranger while the still unseen interior could resemble that of the Bronco Sport.
Speculation is also rife about the choice of engines with reports claiming the same 1.5 and 2.0 EcoBoost engines as the Bronco Sport, while others have suggested the normally aspirated 2.0-litre from the North American-spec Transit Connect van in order to make it more of commercial vehicle. Drive will go to the front wheels as standard allegedly through an eight-speed automatic gearbox, although a manual could feature on entry-level models with another rumour being the availability of all-wheel-drive.
On course to debut later this year, expect more details and images to emerge over the coming and weeks.
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