- Leaked image of a truck tailgate with ‘Maverick’ stamped on it

- It could be launched in 2021 according to a Ford presentation

- Might be a compact, unibody pickup truck for the U.S.

The ‘Maverick’ moniker has been in news ever since the Bronco news started surfacing the internet. Back then, there were rumors that it could be used for the entry-level trim or a special edition of the off-roader. But, a couple of months back, a 3-D image of a truck’s tailgate with ‘Maverick’ embossed on it started doing rounds. Now, Motor1 has received another image from an anonymous source that has ‘Maverick’ stamped on it. Does this confirm a new pickup truck from the Blue Oval?

What Could The Maverick Entail?

The outlet received the image of a pickup truck’s tailgate with the Maverick moniker stamped on it. . In all likelihood, the news could be for this truck.

Currently, the U.S. market has midsize and large pickup trucks only. Despite the growing demand for trucks, there is no small-sized truck yet. The Ranger used to cater to that segment back in the 80s when Ford decided to spin it off from being F-150’s trim. But the truck went on an exile and returned as a mid-size pickup truck last year. So, there is a vacuum and Ford will most likely tap into it before any other automaker fills the void.

There Is A Vacuum In The Pickup Truck Segment

Sometime last week, Muscle Cars and Trucks got access to a Ford presentation that revealed a slide that hinted at a new upcoming product. It was a covered-up vehicle with ‘Whitespace’ written under it and it is scheduled for a 2021 launch. If you connect the dots with all the information at hand, it points towards the Maverick truck itself.

Back in May, we saw a camouflaged vehicle which Ford tried to pass off as a minivan, perhaps, but it was a pickup truck. It looked to be based more on the Bronco than the Ranger. If this information is true, then this truck will be a unibody and not a body-on-frame.

Could The Maverick Be A Unibody Design?

The Ranger and the F-150 are body-on-frames, so it wouldn’t be a bad idea to have a unibody layout in the lineup. There aren’t a lot of unibody trucks on the market. The Ridgeline is the most prominent one and it isn’t that bad actually. It doesn’t have the rugged truck appearance but works as a great family hauler. Honda even offers independent rear suspension on it, so the ride quality is exceptional. Considering that Honda is selling over 30,000 examples of the Ridgeline consistently every year, Ford could be looking at a potential volume-seller if the Maverick is indeed a unibody truck. The upcoming Hyundai Santa Cruz will be a unibody truck as well.

Ford Has A Long History With The ‘Maverick’ Badge

Later, Ford went on to slap the term on a rebadged Nissan Patrol in Australia in the 80s and 90s, on the rebadged Nissan Terrano sold in Europe in the 90s, and even on the European version of the Ford Escape sold in the early 2000s. Ford recently revived the ‘Bronco’ nameplate which hit straight to those nostalgic vibes. So, digging up another moniker from the past could hit purists on a whole different level. Not to mention, Maverick does sound pretty cool too.

Final Thoughts

The U.S. market would welcome a new pickup truck with its arms wide open, especially if it’s from a brand like Ford. Ford had already confirmed back in 2019 that it is working on a new pickup truck. These Maverick engraved tailgate images further cement the news. We have mid-size and full-size trucks here, but the small truck market segment is left untapped. We could see Ram come up with a small ‘700’ pickup truck sometime in the future. But, with a 2021 launch listed for ‘Whitespace’, Ford could be the first automaker to tap the segment.

What do you think the Maverick will be? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.