Ford is betting big on its upcoming Universal Electric Vehicle platform. It’s the automaker’s answer to China’s EV dominance, and the first model to debut riding on the architecture is a new pickup. A development prototype has just been spotted, and it’s tiny.
Our friends at The Autopian got exclusive photos and a video of the pickup in Long Beach, California, providing our first look at the new vehicle. Ford covered the new EV in camouflage and cladding, but the automaker could not hide its overall size.
It appears to be much smaller than the Ford F-150 and closer in size to the third-generation Ranger from the early 2000s. It looks similar to the Maverick. Despite its bite-sized appearance, Ford claims the truck will have more passenger space than the Toyota RAV4, before accounting for the front trunk cargo space or bed, which looks incredibly deep but not that long.
View Price on AmazonThankfully, the truck is a high-riding vehicle, and the liftgate opening looks low and accessible. The new Ford is looking like it will be a very practical truck.
While the camouflage hides the finer styling details, the truck’s design is quite apparent. It has a highly raked windshield that looks like one you would see on a sedan, which is likely necessary to maximize the vehicle's available range. It also has a narrow daylight opening that gives it a sports car-like stance and tiny side mirrors.
The cladding on the front distorts the hood, which we think is intended to make it appear much taller and boxier than it really is. The headlights poking through sit quite low on the face, which we expect is as aerodynamic as possible.
The back of the truck has some cladding along the bedside, which might be hiding some aero elements. There’s also cladding around the back of the cabin, which could be hiding a roof spoiler.
The Autopian didn’t get a clear look inside, but the photos appear to show a pair of screens protruding from the dash.
The new Ford is scheduled to go on sale sometime next year with a starting price of around $30,000. This platform will underpin a range of new products, so if the truck doesn’t strike your fancy, there are other models on the way.
Source: motor1.com
