2022 Ford Maverick Is A Rightsized Pickup For $21,490

Ford thinks there’s room to grow in the truck market, as long as a new pick-up offering isn’t too big. That should give the all-new 2022 Ford Maverick compact truck plenty of space to find a home with buyers who are put off by full-size pick-ups like the F-150 or Chevy Silverado but still want to schlep things around like their truck friends.

This explains why Ford is touting the Maverick’s smaller truck benefits, like city maneuverability and 40-foot turning radius. The Maverick is just under 200 inches long, compared to the 210.8-inch Ranger or the 231.7-inch F-150. Ford is also making sure everyone sees the starting MSRP of $19,995, but since Ford charges a $1,495 destination fee, the price is really $21,490.

That price and size should give the upcoming Hyundai Santa Cruz some competition for the “truck for urbanites” segment, as well as giving people shopping for something like a Honda Ridgeline or Chevrolet Colorado something else to consider.

There will be just one Maverick body style, a four-door SuperCrew that seats five. But a truck isn’t much of a truck without a capable bed for storing and hauling items, so Ford came up with a new name to describe what the Maverick has behind the seats. The Maverick’s Flexbed is 4.5 feet long, or six feet with the tailgate down and has a maximum payload of 1,500 pounds . Those aren’t enough features to earn it the phrase “the most innovative truck box Ford has ever created” the company is using, so there’s got to be more. 

Turns out, there is, including easy ways to customize your own storage solutions using 2×4 or 2×6 pieces of lumber that fit into pre-stamped slots in the Flexbed, strapping things in place using one of the eight tie-downs or adding your own lighting options using the built-in 12-volt outlets. The multi-position tailgate can hold 400 pounds in mid-position and 500 lbs when fully open. Even when it’s closed, the bed should be easy to access for many adults thanks to the Maverick’s lower ride height compared to a full-size truck like an F-150. The Maverick is 68.7 inches tall vs. 75.6 inches for an F-150. The Maverick comes with up to two 110-volt, 400-watt outlets, one in the bed and one in the cabin.

Two powertrain options will be available. The standard option is a 2.5-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder hybrid powertrain, which is available only in front-wheel drive and comes with a CVT. The hybrid set-up produces 162 horsepower and 155 pound-feet of torque. For all-wheel drive, you’ll need to choose the 2.0-liter engine, which comes with an 8-speed automatic transmission and produces 250 hp and 277 pound-feet of torque. Ford isn’t giving out fuel economy figures just yet, other than to say that the hybrid version should get 40 mpg in city driving and 37 mpg combined. The Maverick can tow 2,000 pounds, or up to 4,000 with the 4K Tow Package that’s available only on the non-hybrid version. FWD Mavericks will use an independent MacPherson strut-type suspension in front and independent twistbeam suspension in the rear. AWD versions will use independent multi-link trailing arm suspensions in back. 

From the driver’s seat, the Maverick will offer five drive modes (Normal, Eco, Sport, Slippery and Tow/Haul) as well as Ford Co-Pilot 360 safety systems like auto high beams and pre-collision assist with automatic emergency braking as standard. Adaptive cruise control with stop and go, lane centering, reverse sensing system and lane departure warning, among other safety and convenience features, will be available. An 8-inch touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple

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CarPlay compatibility is also standard. FordPass is also standard, which connects your phone to the truck in order to find it in a busy parking lot, lock or unlock the doors and start or turn off the vehicle. As with the bed, Ford has arranged for lots of storage areas inside the cabin, including bins under the rear seats and space for tall water bottles or laptop computers in the door pockets.

Three trim levels will be available – XL, XLT and Lariat. The XLT has a storage cubby in the side of the bed, while the Lariat has two. There will also be an FX4 package available for the all-wheel-drive XLT, while the Lariat adds all-terrain tires and additional underbody protection as well as two more drive modes (Mud/Rut and Sand) and hill descent control for off-road operations.

The hybrid Ford Maverick will be built in Chihuahua, Mexico while the gas-engine model will be made in Cleveland, Ohio and Valencia, Spain. The Maverick arrives later this fall and interested customers can place an order today. This is recommended if you might want the First Edition package, which is available for the first model year only. The First Edition takes a Lariat trim Maverick and adds a bevy of visual changes – graphics on the hood and lower doors, a high-gloss black roof and body-color door handles, for example – and a soft tonneau cover. The First Edition’s wheels are also upgraded and buying the First Edition is the only way to get the Rapid Red exterior paint color.