Ford tried to get a piece of the European SUV market in the mid ’90s.
In 1993, it joined forces with Nissan and put a Ford-badged Nissan Terrano II on the market. The car was produced by Nissan in its factory in Spain.

The Maverick, like the Terrano II, was offered in two body styles. A three-door short-wheelbase and a five-door long-wheelbase. First it appeared in 1993 but in 1996 the Maverick received a facelift. A new front fascia with round headlights and more chrome made it look better for customers. For the long wheelbase a seven-seater option was available.

Another good upgrade was on the technical side, where the engines were updated. Even though it didn’t receive the 3.0-liter unit like the Terrano II, it went well with the 2.7-liter turbodiesel, upgraded to 125 hp from the pre-facelifted variant, which only had 101 hp. The torque was increased to 278 Nm (205 lb-ft). The 2.4-liter gasoline unit lost some power and since 1996 had only 118 hp instead of 124 as before.

The 4x4 transmission system was via a transfer box with high and low gear. No center differential or locking differentials were offered. The Maverick had a front wheel independent suspension while the rear axle was rigid-type with coil springs and anti-roll bar.