Yahoo Autos Ford Maverick test mule exposed by spy photos of rear window
A fresh round of spy photos has outed the new Ford Maverick — a new pint-sized pickup based on the Ford Escape and Bronco Sport platform — thanks to a photo that clearly shows the little utility vehicle's sliding rear cab window.
The mystery prototype was initially caught running around Southeast Michigan back at the beginning of August, and thanks to Ford's extensive (and clever) camouflage, it played the part of a three-row crossover mule, perhaps even a replacement for the aging Ford Flex. A closer examination of the prototype's finer details, however, revealed it for what it really was: a pickup in disguise.
Since, rumors have pointed to the Maverick effectively playing the role of a Transit Connect pickup variant, which makes sense given that the aforementioned van rides on what is otherwise a fairly nondescript, front-wheel-drive platform. In fact, you can even see in the photos of the prototype's rear end here that there is no visible rear differential or half-shafts, further backing up our previous conclusion that this particular truck is front-wheel drive. We expect that all-wheel drive will be offered on all but perhaps the Maverick's most basic variants.
