Since being released earlier this year, the Ford Maverick has been proving to be a successful product in the North American market. Given the positive reception, the brand says it is now considering an even smaller bakkie offering to the younger demographic.
Speaking to Muscle Cars and Trucks, chief product platform and operations officer Hau Thai-Tang says “What are we good at? Trucks. What do we need? An affordable, entry vehicle to bring first time buyers into the showroom,”
When revealed, the Ford Maverick amassed 100 000 reservations ahead of its official launch. Interestingly, it saw demand in areas where imported cars usually sell well which resulted in a swing for the brand.
The Maverick may be the brand’s smallest bakkie at the moment but compared to the iconic Bantam, it is still rather lofty. When asked if there is a possibility that Ford’s bakkie will go smaller, Thai-Tang said “Maybe. There’s certainly in other markets like South America and South Africa. But [the Maverick] is a great story. We leveraged the Bronco Sport [platform], we did all of our Built Ford Tough validation on it, and the decision to go full hybrid eliminates the decision for first time buyers on fuel efficiency and operational costs.”
When asked if Ford is starting to strategise away from sedans and hatchbacks and towards bakkies and SUVs, Thai-Tang said “We looked at it as passenger vehicles are getting very commoditised, it’s difficult for us to make money, how else can we use that capital and engineering capacity? We decided let’s play to our strengths.”
