These exclusive renderings show a sporty trim for the pickup.
Ford previously stated that it is considering a sporty Maverick for the pickup’s EcoBoost and thrifty Hybrid powertrains. However, there has not been any news on this front. This was up until last week.
Our spy photographers were able to capture a more aggressive Maverick driving around with stacked dual exhausts in its rear bumper. The bodywork was wider and contained large, over-sized wheels. Although the Maverick was camouflaged, it is easy to see what could be hidden beneath that swirly vinyl wrap. So got the Photoshop up and running, and voilà! The 2023 Ford Maverick ST is now officially available.
The front air dam of our hypothetical Maverick ST is deeper and more meaner, hiding what may be an additional intercooler as per spy photos. The unique mesh has a dark finish and fits perfectly into the smoked headlights. A couple of ST badges can be found on the corners of the grille or the tailgate. Our electronic Maverick is lowered over 20-inch wheels. Fender extensions hide a wider track, which improves stability and handling. The rear features a black tailgate wordmark and the distinctive vertical exhausts in each corner of the bumper – design cues taken from the Edge ST.
The spy photos have shown that the Blue Oval has not confirmed whether it will produce a sports version of the pickup, which would be sold alongside other Ford products such as the F150 Raptor or the Explorer ST. It’s likely that the Maverick will be more focused on sporty off-road performance than its Baja-blasting desert speed. It will likely make use of Ford’s turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine. This produces 330 horsepower (243kW) in the Mustang. A 10-speed automatic will back it up, but our hearts are hopeful that the Focus RS’ six speed manual will make a return.
The Maverick ST will be all-wheel drive, just like the Focus RS. Also, the hot hatch’s unique Sport and Track modes may show up on the Maverick ST. Imagine a pickup speeding along a course, with smoke coming from every wheel well. This is followed closely by a Nissan 240SX Nissan Corolla AE86. We dare you to not giggle.
Our Maverick ST is a fantasy, at least for the moment. Ford claims it is looking at interest for such a vehicle. If you are interested in seeing the inexpensive pickup transformed into a pocket rocket with cargo bed, please let us know.