1993 Ford Maverick 5 Doors 2.7L TD 5MT AWD (101 HP)

Vehicle Overview

While the Maverick nameplate was known as a compact-sized sedan made during the Malaise Era in the U.S., the 1993 Ford Maverick was a rebadged version of a Nissan Terrano II made in Spain.

Ford noticed the increased appeal of SUVs to European customers and tried to adapt to this trend as quickly as possible. The easiest way to produce one was to call Nissan and ask them if they would like to share the Terrano II lineup and rebadge it as a Ford Maverick. The Japanese automaker was not in great financial shape, so the answer was yes. As a result, in 1993, Ford introduced the Maverick lineup for the European market with three and five doors on short or long wheelbases, respectively. However, the cars were slightly different since both automakers had to preserve their design language identities.

At the front, the 1993 Ford Maverick showed rectangular headlights that flanked a narrow grille adorned by the brand’s oval-shaped badge. On the lower side, the automaker installed a black, wrapped-around plastic bumper with available fog lamps on the apron. Furthermore, Ford even offered the SUV with a steel bullbar designed to protect the bodywork from bushes. The same metallic construction was used to attach winches for those who wanted to use the SUV during difficult offroad situations.

From its profile, the five-door version of the 1993 Ford Maverick revealed its long and tall bodywork. Its engine compartment was short and followed by a steep windshield. The long roof was flat up to the vertical rear, side-hinged door. The car’s profile revealed a waistline that ascended slightly on the rear doors over the rear wheel arches, creating a distinguishable demarcation line between the passenger and the trunk area. At the back, the automaker installed vertically mounted taillights on the D-posts. However, those were mostly for decoration since the actual ones were placed lower, in the bumper, along with the turn signal lamps and the reversing lights. The automaker also placed an external cradle for the spare wheel on the opposite side of the driver’s post.

The cabin was roomy for up to five adults, with front bucket seats and a split-folding (50/50) rear bench. In addition, customers could order the 1993 Ford Maverick with a third row of seats placed in the trunk area. The rounded-shaped dashboard integrated the instrument cluster fronting the driver, while on the passenger side was a handlebar and a small open storage area. The three-spoke steering wheel framed an instrument panel that featured large dials for the speedometer and tachometer, flanking the fuel level and the temperature gauges, plus the LCD for the odometer. On the center stack, Ford installed a high-mounted stereo below the center vents and the HVAC controls underneath. At the same time, the center console housed the gear stick and the lever for the transfer box, plus the handbrake.

Under the hood, the 1993 Ford Maverick was available with either a 2.4-liter inline-four gasoline engine or a 2.7-liter powerhouse. Both versions were paired with a five-speed manual transmission, while a four-speed automatic was available. The SUV featured a standard part-time 4×4 system with a low-range gearing for the transfer box.