2022 Ford Maverick Reveal – All-New Compact Pickup

With today’s well-equipped 1/2 ton pickups selling around $75,000 and upwards of $100,000, the just-introduced Ford Maverick may come at a time to give the pickup buyer some relief. Even Ford admitted to its pickups’ massive size when comparing the Maverick to the rest of the line.

Speaking of size, the Maverick is still a helpful tool for truck stuff. The bed can handle a 4×8 piece of plywood with the tailgate down, and it will still be three feet shorter than a Super Crew short box F150. But instead of starting at $65,000, the Maverick’s MSRP begins at just $19,995, not including destination charges, tax, title, and license.

2022 Ford Maverick Reveal – Planned To Be Affordable

This makes the Maverick the most affordable compact pickup in a two-pickup compact truck market. When the Maverick goes on sale this fall, its lone competition will be the Hyundai Santa Cruz.

The Maverick brings in its more maneuverable package with a surprisingly new “first for pickup” powertrain to set it on an even more efficient foot. Showing that it may be looking for a new type of pickup truck buyer, the Maverick comes standard with a 40 mpg city (yet to be EPA approved) hybrid powertrain.

Engines, Hybrid Option, Transmission & Performance

This base level XL comes with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder, in combo with an electric motor that provides 191 total horsepower and 155 pound-feet of torque. And while many hybrids are limited to 1500 lbs or less, Ford says the Maverick Hybrid can tow 2,000 pounds with another 1,500 as payload. Definitely enough for the jet skis and campers in the launch photos.

You can opt for the turbocharged engine that pounds out 277 lb-ft of torque and 250 horsepower for more power. This engine’s towing package lifts your towing capacity to 4,000 pounds. Ford says that’s enough to accommodate a 23-foot camper, Ford says.

The turbocharged four can be optioned with an all-wheel-drive and a fully independent rear suspension, while the front-wheel-drive models get a more standard semi-independent twist-beam rear suspension. And if you’re wondering, Ford says that for the time being, you can get an AWD Hybrid. But they didn’t say there won’t be one, ever. We suspect they want to save something to bring you back the following year for that second truck you’ll undoubtedly need.

Inside 2022 Ford Maverick Reveal

But this Maverick isn’t all about the size on the outside. You also have a pretty lovely interior to ride in, if the press photos are any indication.

The dash is reminiscent of the Bronco Sport and still fun but in a more mature way. And we love the well-thought-out touches like the notch in the rear door panel that’s perfectly designed to secure a mountain bike tire.

Ford also gives you multiple cubbies to undereat storage bins to hold the stuff that collects in trucks. The designers have gone over the top to make this little truck liveable and comfortable. You’re not going to have the legroom of an F-150 in the back seat, but it’ll still be comfortable for most people. And the overall plastics look to be some standard hard plastics that are in other Ford pickups. We’ll save the opinions on that until an in-person drive.

Trim Configuration Options

Ford says they’ll have three similar trim levels that you’ll find on F-150’s. So you can expect the XL, XLT, and Lariat. As you get up the trim range, the predictable navigation, convenience, leather, and safety assists will increase. Ford estimates that a fully-loaded Maveric Lariat will be in the $30,000 – $35,000 range before any markups, of course.

New Segment Buyers for 2022 Ford Maverick

We don’t doubt that current pickup owners who have chafed at the increasing full-size pickup costs will look at the Maverick as an option. But it will be even more interesting to see how many people will come into the Ford pickup corral from the SUV and sedan market.

Ford hopes they’ve started a segment that will be big. The dealers will hope a stampede comes their way.

 

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