2022 Ford Maverick Prototype Has AWD & Independent Rear Suspension

These new spy photos of the 2022 Maverick pickup clearly show it will get all-wheel-drive and an independent suspension. Both should even be paired with each other, but of course higher up the range.

Observations:
"Spy photos of the upcoming Ford Maverick compact pickup truck have revealed a fascinating development in the truck's design. Up until this point, the Maverick prototypes we've seen have featured a torsion beam rear suspension and front-wheel drive. This example very clearly has ditched that layout in favor of an independent setup. And while we don't see any all-wheel-drive components, this could conceivably be coupled with a differential and drive axles.

You can clearly see that instead of a a solid curved beam, this truck has individual lower control arms for the left and right rear wheels. They also feature coil springs, like the torsion beam variant, and separately mounted shocks. The subframe that they're bolted to seems high enough that a differential could be comfortably perched between the control arms. The rearrangement of the springs and shocks for this suspension may also grant clearance for axle shafts to rear the rear wheels. The control arms have somewhat odd-looking thin metal panels and brackets clamped around them. They look like they might be early prototype pieces, possibly a stand-in spring perch design while final arms are still being designed."