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The Ford Maverick is breaking new ground in the pickup truck segment, the only problem is – it’s not a pickup truck. Polarizing truck owners question whether the Maverick should be mentioned in the same breath as the F-150. Meanwhile, curious new buyers are flocking to their nearest Ford dealer to order a Maverick, with an estimated delivery time of more than six months. Call it whatever you want, but Ford’s new bed car has had a waiting list since it went into production a year ago.
The Maverick has outsold its big brother, the Ford Ranger, for a whole year, and with a long history, the Ranger is a “real” pickup truck. Perhaps one day the Maverick will compete in sales with its big brother, America’s best-selling vehicle; F-series truck.
That might be a stretch, though it might end up outselling some other Fords it shares a lot in common with; remember Ranchero? So why is the Maverick so popular if it is not accepted in the pickup community?
The Ford Maverick has just about everything a pickup truck owner needs
Pickup truck owners may say “nice truck” sarcastically every time the Maverick passes them. But that’s not stopping the interest of new buyers who view the Maverick as a great entry-level vehicle in the pickup segment.
If you’re going to channel your inner Maverick and want to feel the need for speed, go with Eco-boost. The 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder Maverick is equipped with all-wheel drive and produces 250 horsepower and 277 pound-feet of torque. The 2.5-liter hybrid is front-wheel drive, produces 191 horsepower and 155 lb-ft of torque, and averages nearly 40 MPG.
All that’s cool and cheesy, but what pickup truck owners really care about is towing and hauling. With either power source, the Maverick’s payload capacity is an impressive 1,500 pounds; that’s thirty seven bags of mulch! Towing weight is rated at just 2,000 pounds, but you can option the 2.0L with the 4K Towing Package, which increases payload to 4,000 pounds.
The 4.5-foot bed is only half a foot shorter than the Ranger’s standard bed size. A bed extension can be added to the Maverick as an option, so with the tailgate down, the bed length increases to 6 feet. So the next time a macho pickup truck owner talks down your Maverick – just show him your mulch and you’ll be sure to get some respect afterwards.
There’s a Ford Maverick for everyone
The standard hybrid version of the Maverick can top 40 MPG in the city, which is impressive for any crossover. While the hybrid doesn’t have the option of AWD or a towing package, it offers plenty of appeal. It’s extremely quiet, and with 191 horsepower, it’s giddy enough in “Sport” mode to accelerate down the freeway on-ramp without you knowing what.
The 2.0 Eco-boost is probably the more popular choice due to its power, AWD and towing ability. Depending on what’s most important to a buyer, there’s sure to be a Maverick for everyone. More importantly, the Maverick pioneers a new segment for buyers looking to get more out of their boring compact crossover.
The Ford Maverick is the best vehicle available in the market
The Maverick, with its simple but fun interior design, can be offered at an unprecedentedly low price. Starting at $20,000 for the hybrid and $25,000 for the Eco-boost, the Maverick is in a class of its own. Its only competitor, the Hyundai Santa Cruz, starts at around $27,000 for the base model. While a seven size difference may not seem like much, for new car buyers on a budget; every cent counts. The Maverick is indeed cheap, and it feels cheap on the inside, but at half the price of the average new car today; Maverick is affordable.
Add a hybrid powertrain to the mix and you’ve got yourself an affordable pickup that can haul and tow a small fiberglass boat. The added practicality and utility that the Maverick offers makes perfect sense for traditional crossover buyers. This may not result in a lower price for existing pickup owners, but it will certainly attract the attention of other consumers in the SUV market.
Ford Maverick is a pioneer in the automotive industry
Youtuber James from Throttle House said it perfectly, if the Santa Cruz is a “Trucky Car”, the Maverick is more of a “Cary Truck”. I mean, the Hyundai is a lifestyle vehicle designed for more form than function. The Maverick, on the other hand, is a functional truck that drives like a car. Both vehicles are unibody construction and ride comfortably without the body camber of a standard pickup truck.
Aesthetically, the Maverick looks like a truck, and that’s why it’s disrupting the auto industry. Consumers are beginning to gravitate toward new types of cars that are familiar enough to pique their interest. Like the Subaru Baja that preceded it, the Santa Cruz has too much of a distinctive pickup truck look, and that’s why buyers are swaying towards the Maverick. While the Baja may be cool among enthusiasts, it never became a full-size car for Subaru.
It also helps that Ford has been making reliable pickup trucks since the dawn of time. So it’s no surprise that the Maverick sells twice as many units as its Hyundai rival. Expect the Maverick to gain attention from other automakers who may consider adding a subcompact, unibody, pickup, or crossover to their lineup.
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