[Primrose]

Ford Authority is reporting that the Maverick will have a spare tire mounted underneath the bed.

The Ford Maverick Will Have A Spare Tire Mounted Underneath Its Bed

The Ford Maverick will have a spare tire mounted underneath its bed, another traditional truck-like feature for the forthcoming compact unibody pickup.

fordauthority.com

Despite The Blue Oval’s best efforts to conceal the fact, we can confirm that the Ford Maverick is indeed a pickup, even though the prototypes we’ve spied recently are made to look like an SUV/crossover via a bed cap and some clever camo. That means that the forthcoming model also sports a host of truck-like features, including a spare tire mounted underneath its bed.

The spare tire location is notable, since this is a unibody pickup. However, there’s really no other place to logically mount the spare tire on a truck, whether it utilizes unibody construction like the Maverick or a more traditional body-on-frame configuration.

It’s also worth noting that the Ford Bronco Sport, with which the Maverick shares the same Ford C2 platform and styling details, does not have a spare tire mounted underneath the vehicle. Rather, it’s located under the load floor in the rear cargo area.

Though it’s a compact unibody pickup that’s smaller and lower to the ground than the mid-size Ford Ranger, the Ford Maverick does feature a few truck-like details. They include a sliding rear window, as Ford Authority exclusively reported, in addition to a fairly conventional suspension system. The prototypes we’ve seen so far also have rather strange exhaust routing, but that could change when the pickup reaches production.

The Maverick is expected to be offered with either Ford’s 1.5L EcoBoost Dragon three-cylinder or an optional 2.0L EcoBoost inline-four, both of which are expected to be paired with FoMoCo’s new 8-speed automatic transmission. It’s currently unclear, but a naturally-aspirated four-cylinder is also a possibility. The compact pickup will come in front-wheel-drive configuration, but all-wheel-drive will also be available.

The Maverick will be offered as a four-door / Super Crew body style out of the gate. Production of the new model will take place at the Ford Hermosillo Assembly Plant in Mexico, which also happens to be the birthplace of the new Bronco Sport. Expect a launch in mid-2021 as a 2022 model.

 

[NDL]

Ford Authority is reporting that the Maverick will have a spare tire mounted underneath the bed.

The Ford Maverick Will Have A Spare Tire Mounted Underneath Its Bed

The Ford Maverick will have a spare tire mounted underneath its bed, another traditional truck-like feature for the forthcoming compact unibody pickup.

fordauthority.com

Despite The Blue Oval’s best efforts to conceal the fact, we can confirm that the Ford Maverick is indeed a pickup, even though the prototypes we’ve spied recently are made to look like an SUV/crossover via a bed cap and some clever camo. That means that the forthcoming model also sports a host of truck-like features, including a spare tire mounted underneath its bed.

The spare tire location is notable, since this is a unibody pickup. However, there’s really no other place to logically mount the spare tire on a truck, whether it utilizes unibody construction like the Maverick or a more traditional body-on-frame configuration.

It’s also worth noting that the Ford Bronco Sport, with which the Maverick shares the same Ford C2 platform and styling details, does not have a spare tire mounted underneath the vehicle. Rather, it’s located under the load floor in the rear cargo area.

Though it’s a compact unibody pickup that’s smaller and lower to the ground than the mid-size Ford Ranger, the Ford Maverick does feature a few truck-like details. They include a sliding rear window, as Ford Authority exclusively reported, in addition to a fairly conventional suspension system. The prototypes we’ve seen so far also have rather strange exhaust routing, but that could change when the pickup reaches production.

The Maverick is expected to be offered with either Ford’s 1.5L EcoBoost Dragon three-cylinder or an optional 2.0L EcoBoost inline-four, both of which are expected to be paired with FoMoCo’s new 8-speed automatic transmission. It’s currently unclear, but a naturally-aspirated four-cylinder is also a possibility. The compact pickup will come in front-wheel-drive configuration, but all-wheel-drive will also be available.

The Maverick will be offered as a four-door / Super Crew body style out of the gate. Production of the new model will take place at the Ford Hermosillo Assembly Plant in Mexico, which also happens to be the birthplace of the new Bronco Sport. Expect a launch in mid-2021 as a 2022 model.

I appreciate you posting this, but the spare tire location brings up something that I hadn't thought of (until now): the Maverick is too low to the ground.

My 2001 Ranger has around 8 inches of ground clearance, so lowering the spare can be done in a jiffy. The Maverick is far lower to the ground, which will make lowering the spare more of a nuisance.

 

[Primrose]

I appreciate you posting this, but the spare tire location brings up something that I hadn't thought of (until now): the Maverick is too low to the ground.

My 2001 Ranger has around 8 inches of ground clearance, so lowering the spare can be done in a jiffy. The Maverick is far lower to the ground, which will make lowering the spare more of a nuisance.

I didn't think about that either. I wonder if Ford has some tricks up their sleeve so that the tire doesn't drastically affect the ground clearance.

 

[NDL]

I didn't think about that either. I wonder if Ford has some tricks up their sleeve so that the tire doesn't drastically affect the ground clearance.

Ford can easily set the Maverick up with proper ground clearance; the Bronco Sport features 7.8" of ground clearance, which is sufficient, and the Maverick could have the same.

But my concern is that Ford will jinx the Maverick with low ground clearance, if only to move people into the Ranger.

How so?

The Maverick will be handsome, and it will be very roomy. So why then, would people buy the more expensive Ranger? Ford's gotta give them a reason.

The Ranger is more powerful, but how many Ranger customers tow things regularly? The Ranger has a bigger bed, but how many Ranger customers use their beds everyday?

But a lot of truck customers, (at least around here), traverse gravel driveways and roads, and no one wants to do that in a vehicle that's low to the ground.

One of the reasons why people buy trucks, at least in suburban areas, is to have a commanding view of the road.

Bingo.

So the Maverick is set up like a crossover, and if potential customers don't like it, "for a mere four grand more, let me show you this Ranger, and this sits nice and high off the ground."

I hope they don't do that.

 

[Dano0726]

NDL -- those issues you listed are my biggest concerns with the Maverick: needs to be exactly the ground clearance (7.8") as the Bronco Sport (I have reserved a Badlands) + priced too high/close to a Ranger...

 

[Primrose]

Ford can easily set the Maverick up with proper ground clearance; the Bronco Sport features 7.8" of ground clearance, which is sufficient, and the Maverick could have the same.

But my concern is that Ford will jinx the Maverick with low ground clearance, if only to move people into the Ranger.

How so?

The Maverick will be handsome, and it will be very roomy. So why then, would people buy the more expensive Ranger? Ford's gotta give them a reason.

The Ranger is more powerful, but how many Ranger customers tow things regularly? The Ranger has a bigger bed, but how many Ranger customers use their beds everyday?

But a lot of truck customers, (at least around here), traverse gravel driveways and roads, and no one wants to do that in a vehicle that's low to the ground.

One of the reasons why people buy trucks, at least in suburban areas, is to have a commanding view of the road.

Bingo.

So the Maverick is set up like a crossover, and if potential customers don't like it, "for a mere four grand more, let me show you this Ranger, and this sits nice and high off the ground."

I hope they don't do that.

I really hope they don't do that either. That would be an incredibly expensive way to try and get people into the Ranger.

 

[NDL]

I really hope they don't do that either. That would be an incredibly expensive way to try and get people into the Ranger.

That how certain manufacturers do it in the car business, with GM historically at the top of the aforementioned practice.

What makes me assume that Ford is doing this with the Maverick?

The Ranger has 8.5" of ground clearance; the Bronco Sport has 7.8"

All Ford has to do, is simply pull the Sports' suspension and put it on the Maverick. Doing that saves a lot on engineering and production costs.

Looking at the pictures, is that what they did?

No...The Ranger sits much higher than the Sport.

But Ford made a mistake: the Maverick sits a LOT lower than the forthcoming Hyundai truck.

(That's why I am making much to do about the Maverick's ground clearance; I am hoping that Ford sees this forum, and has a change in mind prior to production)

 

[Mav-trunklet]

Ford can easily set the Maverick up with proper ground clearance; the Bronco Sport features 7.8" of ground clearance, which is sufficient, and the Maverick could have the same.

But my concern is that Ford will jinx the Maverick with low ground clearance, if only to move people into the Ranger.

How so?

The Maverick will be handsome, and it will be very roomy. So why then, would people buy the more expensive Ranger? Ford's gotta give them a reason.

The Ranger is more powerful, but how many Ranger customers tow things regularly? The Ranger has a bigger bed, but how many Ranger customers use their beds everyday?

But a lot of truck customers, (at least around here), traverse gravel driveways and roads, and no one wants to do that in a vehicle that's low to the ground.

One of the reasons why people buy trucks, at least in suburban areas, is to have a commanding view of the road.

Bingo.

So the Maverick is set up like a crossover, and if potential customers don't like it, "for a mere four grand more, let me show you this Ranger, and this sits nice and high off the ground."

I hope they don't do that.

I love the size of Maverick whereas I would definitely not want a Ranger. Let the younger people & women and a lot of seniors enjoy a Maverick….and all others can simply buy a Ranger or any other regular type pick up for all their towing, off road, snow weather, etc.
Ther’s something for everyone and if Mav isn’t ‘truck enough’….just pass it by for something beefier.