Ford Maverick will be offered with a 2.5-litre hybrid and a 2.0-litre turbo engine; optional AWD will only be available in the latter
Ford has finally revealed the long-awaited Maverick pickup truck just a few weeks after the launch of the F-150 Lightning. The American manufacturer has made available a hybrid powertrain as standard with the Maverick and it will arrive at dealerships in the United States later this year. It is based on the Bronco Sport and has a unibody construction.
The compact Ford Maverick will help in strengthening the brand’s wide range of pickup trucks and more importantly, it will target volumes as it will be priced from $21,490 (Rs. 15.66 lakh approximately). On the outside, it gets an upright front fascia with hexagonal black grille inserts and C-shaped LED headlamps with an amber lighting cluster connected by twin chrome strips and the Blue Oval badge.
Besides the lower central air inlet, the Ford Maverick features round-shaped wheel arches, a clean side profile, a raked front windshield and a muscular bonnet. The truck bed has a 1.37-metre length and is said to be designed with utility in mind as it has built-in threaded holes, slots to create different storage segments by sliding 2x4s or 2x6s into stamped bedsides, four D rings, multiple tie-downs and so on.
It also gets sturdy aluminium rails to secure things and a 110 V power outlet with 400 W of power available. The Maverick has an overall length of 5,072 mm with a 3,076 mm long wheelbase as it is 686 mm longer and has 406 mm longer wheelbase compared to the Bronco Sport. Pitting it against the recently launched Hyundai Santa Cruz pickup, the Maverick is 101 mm longer and has a longer wheelbase length of 61 mm.
The entry-level Ford Maverick derives power from a 2.5-litre inline four-cylinder hybrid engine, which is good enough to produce 191 horsepower and 210 Nm of peak torque. It is paired with a CVT sending power to only the front wheels. The compact pickup truck has a towing capacity of up to 907 kg with a payload capacity of up to 680 kg.
No AWD will be on offer in the hybrid but there is another engine option customers can go with for it. The 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder unit develops 250 horsepower and 375 Nm with a towing capacity of 1,814 kg with an optional tow package. The optional AWD trim gets five drive modes namely Normal, Sport, Slippery, Tow/Haul, and Eco.
The Ford Maverick is noticeably shorter than the Ranger and F-150 and its compact nature could lure in buyers in an appealing price range. To be available in XL, XLT and Lariat trims, the Maverick also gains an FX4 off-road package with all-terrain tyres, underbody protection, more drive modes, HDC (Hill Descent Control), retuned suspension and so on.
The interior boasts an eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system and it has plenty in common with the Bronco Sport. As for safety, AEB (Autonomous Emergency Braking), Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Centering, Blind Spot Monitoring with Cross-Traffic Alert, etc will be part of the package.
