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As if the recent unveiling of the electric-powered F-150 Lightning wasn’t enough of a shock to the pickup truck marketplace, Ford has unveiled the 2022 Maverick, a compact-size pickup truck that the automaker says will seat 5 adults, will have a standard hybrid powertrain rated at 40 mpg in city driving, can carry 1,500 pounds in its bed or, with the optional 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine, pull a 23-foot camping trailer on the weekend.
If you’re trying to do a quick conversion of that 1,500-pound payload to something practical, Ford suggests that it’s the equivalent of 37 bags of mulch, each weighing 40 pounds.
Ford adds that Maverick comes with an 8-inch touch screen with smart technology, automatic emergency braking, and a base price of $19,995.
The compact truck reportedly is based on the underpinnings of the Escape crossover utility vehicle.
“The Maverick product proposition is like nothing else out there,” Todd Eckert, Ford truck group marketing manager is quoted in the Ford news release. “It’s a great-looking truck featuring four doors with room for five adults, a standard full-hybrid engine with city fuel economy that beats a Honda Civic, plenty of towing and hauling for weekend trips or do-it-yourself projects, and it starts under $20,000.
“Maverick challenges the status quo and the stereotypes of what a pickup truck can be. We believe it will be compelling to a lot of people who never before considered a truck.”
Ford says the 2.5-liter 4-cylinder hybrid powertrain delivers through a continuously variable transmission 191 horsepower and 155 pound-feet of torque. Ford expects an EPA fuel economy rating 40 mph city and 500 miles of range on a tank of gasoline.
Also available is a 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine rated at 250 horsepower and 277 pound-feet of torque with an 8-speed automatic transmission. Front-wheel drive is standard, but the EcoBoost offers the option of all-wheel drive.
“One thing that’s non-negotiable is that Maverick is Built Ford Tough,” contends Chris Mazur, a third-generation Ford employee who led development of the all-new pickup as chief engineer. “Our engineers were unrelenting, putting it through a battery of vicious on-road, off-road, environmental and simulated customer use testing until we were satisfied. Ford trucks are Ford trucks – through and through.”
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Underseat storage -
FITS system
Among other interior features, including storage under the back seat for tools, sports equipment, etc., Maverick offers what Ford calls FITS — Ford Integrated Tether System — which fits to the rear of the center console and accommodates various accessories. In addition to accessories from Ford, the automaker says it will publish “slot geometry” so people can used 3-D printers to create their own DIY accessories.
Ford terms the Maverick’s 4½-foot pickup bed the Flexbed with segmented storage features, tie-downs, D-rings, “and built-in threaded holes in the sides to bolt in new creations.” The bed has built-in 12-volt electrical power and offers the option of a 110-volt outlet.
Ford said Mavericks will be available in dealerships this fall.
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