I had to look up "marquetry" as that word is out of my Ikea vocabulary.   marquetry noun mar·que·try ˈmär-kə-trē  variants or less commonly marqueterie : decorative work in which elaborate patterns are formed by the insertion of pieces of material (such as wood, shell, or ivory) into a wood veneer that is then applied to a surface (as of a piece of furniture)  

I think if a CUV was built off of the Maverick, it would be just a narrower, fwd/awd unibody Explorer. We had a 2015 Flex SEL; one of Ford's all time best values for the money. At lease end, we bought a 2018 Escape because we felt we didn't need that much room, regret that now. the Escape has a choppy ride and sub par ergonomics compared to our '09 Mariner IMO, and not much better fuel economy than our 3.8l Flex did. We bought an Explorer to replace the Mariner, but definitely would have bought a Flex or maybe Tourneo if they were offered. CD6 is good bones.

Ford should not have not given up on Flex. As usual, Ford had a good idea but they didn't stick with it.    Maverick SUV is Bronco Sport... They are build on the same platform, in the same factory, on the same assembly line. If Ford wanted to sell a 7 seat version, they will just stretch the Bronco Sport rather than try it with Maverick.   But anyway, there is no market demand for compact 7 seat CUV, at least in North America. Several brands (Rav4, Rogue, Tiguan, Santa Fe when it was still a compact) have tried it and they've all got rid of that options fairly quickly. Since we don't have any weight/engine size/CO2 based annual taxes, people who need occasional use of 3rd row can just get a midsize or large CUV that are better at carrying 7 people. 

We loved our Flex as well.  137k mostly trouble free miles.  We were just discussing this weekend whether we would have bought another if they had updated it.

Yes, it’s an interesting question.  Apparently they didn’t want to push it over to Ford Performance, effectively making it just an appearance package. I suppose people can throw a Ford Performance supercharger on it to gain the engine performance, but it would have been nice if Ford had done something from the factory, such as the 3.5L HO. the powertrain and exhaust was available from the Raptor so it would have been pretty easy to do.  Speaking of the 3.5L HO, I think it’s time for an upgrade to that motor.  It’s been 450hp for a long time and the motor is obviously capable of more.  The Ram 3.0L HO is at 540hp so I see no reason why they can’t boost the 3.5 to at least match that.          

I think the passenger van market is limited here in the States, and Tourneo/Transit Custom would fall in that tweener space in the states - too big to be small like Connect, and too small to be big like Transit, which I think is the main reason it hasn't been offered here.   I would have to imagine if that Maverick van rumor (new Transit Connect) is true, that it would have to spawn both a cargo and passenger version...     I loved my Flex, and I know many owners that had them loved them too.....I think they overestimated its appeal, and projected sales too high for a good ROI, even with using company platforms.   It'd be neat if they could come out with a similar profile (and size) using CE1 - imagine the space inside that it could have.

P.S. — It may be 32 Amp charger, not 40 Amps.  It’s been a while and don’t recall, but point is the same.

At least in Tesla’s case the 40-Amp charger is self contained and only needs a 50-Amp receptacle in garage. Charger just plugs in.  Adding a 50-Amp receptacle is not all that different than wiring 240-VAC electric stove, water heater, clothes dryer or a welder in garage, but you guys make a valid point.  If homeowner is not comfortable with DIY or if licensed electrician is required, best to leave it to professionals.  Besides, most people who can afford a new BEV can afford an electrician. 😀

The Flex was easily the most usable, enjoyable, and overall solid vehicle I'd owned in years...though mine was eventually killed by the early first year version of the transaxle. A cavernous awd wagon (spare me the cuv bulls***) that offered Expedition interior space with car liftover heights is an excellent offering...and if their marketing hadn't basically orphaned it early on, I think it'd have had a real 2nd generation.

Large families needing up to 7 seats on a regular basis, but also wanting smaller vehicle footprint and greater affordability, may want to consider a 3-row minivan instead.    Ford already has that vehicle in Europe with essentially same powertrain as Maverick, the Ford Tourneo Custom.  It’s not as cool as a crossover, but does it really matter when dragging 4 or 5 kids with you?  Maybe a new minivan design that is cool looking would be more practical.  We’ll see how well the VW ID. BUZZ does in sales, for example, though not really directly comparable to a Maverick Crossover.   By the way, what happened to all the rumors of a Maverick-based van?  Maybe Ford should combine the two.  Or better yet, import or build Custom and Tourneo in North America.