2023 Ford Raider four-wheel-drive imagined

Mention the Ford Maverick in conversation, and most Australians will picture a rebadged Nissan Patrol from the late 1980s and ‘90s.

Ford revived the nameplate recently, launching the Maverick as a small ute for the US market, to sit below the Ranger in the line-up.

Brazilian artist Kleber Silva has taken the Maverick and imagined what it would look like if the vehicle was produced as an SUV – and we think it would be the perfect opportunity to revive the Ford Raider badge.

Like the Everest is the to Ranger, the Raider was the wagon version of the Courier ute – offered between 1991 and 1996.

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Above and top: Rendering by KDesign AG.

The new Maverick shares its underpinnings with the Ford Escape and Bronco Sport, offering American buyers a choice of a 2.5-litre hybrid four-cylinder, or a 2.0-litre turbocharged EcoBoost four-cylinder engine – the latter available with all-wheel drive.

Despite the new Maverick only being made in left-hand-drive, we think there’s space in the Ford Australia line-up to squeeze the theoretical Raider between the Escape and Everest – capturing buyers who can’t fit the upcoming F-150 in their garage.

What do you think of the 2023 Ford Raider? Let us know in the comments section below.