It is now official. Production of the all-new Ford Maverick compact pickup truck got underway a few days ago. Expect dealership deliveries to begin very soon. Those who placed pre-orders should also be getting ready for a new arrival. Thanks to the folks at the Maverick Truck Club, we have photos of the Maverick production kickoff party at the automaker's Hermosillo, Mexico manufacturing plant. This is the same facility that builds the Bronco Sport and Escape. All three vehicles share Ford's C2 platform.

To be clear, these are not pics released by the Blue Oval. A forum post claims the Velocity Blue Maverick shown here is the first example to roll off the assembly line.

It appears to be a fully-loaded Lariat trim powered by the 2.0-liter EcoBoost turbo-four engine. Notice its cool black wheels and the FX4 off-road decal out back, meaning it's equipped with all-wheel drive. As a refresh, the Maverick comes with standard FWD. Pricing kicks off at just under $20,000 for the base hybrid model and the upgraded Lariat trim, such as this one, probably costs around $34k - $35k all in.

What's interesting is that a significant percentage of the 100,000+ pre-orders are for the hybrid. Ford's data further indicates these buyers are coming from major cities and truck-loving states like Texas and Florida.

The Maverick is also appealing to crossover drivers who want something new and different. The use of a truck bed combined with features designed for outdoor adventures is highly desirable. Combined with its affordability and excellent 40 mpg fuel economy, the Maverick is checking all the right boxes. Bear in mind that not all of those reservations will turn into sales, but Ford isn't concerned. Once the Maverick hits the road, people are going to notice and the orders will keep coming.

This is just the beginning of a new Maverick era and we can expect Ford will continue to launch new variants and maybe, just maybe, an off-road-focused version.