Ford officially has a small truck in the US market. Ladies and gents, say hello to the 2022 Ford Maverick.
Formerly known as a sporty two-door sedan, the Maverick nameplate has been revived in this era as a compact pickup. It certainly looks like a tiny F-150, as it features similar design cues as Ford’s best-selling truck.
The headlights do look a bit familiar, only relatively smaller and a bit subtle compared with the F-150’s. In itself, though, the entire front fascia looks pretty huge. And the same goes for the rear, where the large panels make the Maverick look like it has a very deep bed.
That said, this truck has compact dimensions—it stands 5,072mm long, 1,844mm wide, and 1,737mm tall. For reference, the Ranger here in the Philippines measures 5,354mm long, 1,860mm wide, and 1,848mm tall, so the Maverick is pretty small.
The powertrain options are sheer proof of the truck’s petite physique as well. Standard with this one is a 2.5-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder hybrid powertrain—yes, hybrid—with a total system output of 191hp and 210Nm of torque. This is mated to a CVT that propels the front wheels. With this under the hood, Ford claims the Maverick can do up to 17km/L or approximately 805km on one full tank.
A more potent 2.0-liter EcoBoost gasoline mill that generates 250hp and 375Nm if also available, and this one is mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox that sends power to either the front wheels or all four of ’em.
The hybrid Maverick boasts a 681kg payload capacity and a 907kg towing capacity, while the petrol-powered version can be equipped with a 4k Tow Package that doubles the towing capacity to 1,814kg.
Another particular feature that Ford seems to be proud of with the Maverick is the new Flexbed. This standard feature allows the bed of the pickup to be heavily customized according to a person’s needs and is called “a DIY fan’s paradise.”
Moving on to the inside, the Maverick actually looks more stylish compared with the Fords we have here in our market. There’s a good mix of gray and black trim accentuated quite nicely with brown leather and plastic bits. Front and center is an eight-inch infotainment system that also comes as standard. It boasts Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, and FordPass Connect with an embedded modem providing Wi-Fi connectivity for up to 10 devices.
Out back, Ford has applied its ‘Ford Integrated Tether System’ or FITS, which is a multitasking solution for rear seat passengers. The FITS slots available serve as cupholders, storage, or trash bins, among many other uses.
The extra tech available here are rounded up by the Ford Co-Pilot360 features which include pre-collision assist with automatic emergency braking, automatic high beam headlamps, adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go, and a blind-spot information system.
The Ford Maverick starts at $20,000 in the US, or well under P1 million in local currency. What do you think of this one, people? As it stands, would you take this over the locally available Ranger?
