Ford Maverick

Ford brought us some of the toughest trucks in the world, the Ranger and the F-150. These trucks showcased its Built Ford Tough promise because of the durability it possesses on and off the road, for work, or for play. With the arrival of the first-ever Ford Maverick pickup truck, it seems that the antithesis of the Built Ford Tough promise has arrived to do the work of the thesis. Is the baby Ford truck live up to its brothers' promises or not? Let's investigate.

2022 Ford Maverick

2022 Ford Maverick

With prices starting at 19,995 US Dollars plus additional costs, the Ford Maverick pickup truck is the most affordable truck in the lineup, making it the ideal bargain truck of the century. Although the pricing is handsomely rewarding, the Maverick is not as tough as its big brothers because it runs on a front-wheel-drive platform and unibody chassis rather than body-on-frame, meaning it's not really a Built Ford Tough truck at all. It's just a crossover pretending to be a pickup truck, an antithesis doing the work of the thesis.

More with that later on but first, the design. The styling of the Maverick is squarish from start to finish, it's like having a kinder-aged toddler sketching his dream truck in a blank piece of paper with a crayon. Although as regular as the regular show, the Maverick is sized like a passenger car, making it easier to park. Well done, Ford.

2022 Ford Maverick interior

The interior of the Maverick is also regular as well. On the driver's side, you get a functional touchscreen with some dials for the volume and radio stations, functional climate control that works like a regular car, a steering wheel chock full of buttons, a regular instrumental panel, and pretty much about it. Although not a show-off, the dashboard works as most regular cars should. As for spacing, the rear seats have less legroom than most proper pickup trucks, and that cramps your sweet spot. Oh, and did they mention that the rear seats come with a FITS slot for numerous situations?

As a compact pickup truck built for small business owners, the Maverick's flatbed with a multi-position tailgate and FLEXBED design is capable of carrying up to 1500lbs of payload, less than the Ssangyong Rexton Sports but more than the Toyota Hilux, and it's adjustable with six or ten tie-downs, depending on the variant.

Two powertrains are offered for the Maverick such as the standard 2.5L hybrid engine mated to a CVT, capable of 40MPG city fuel economy and 500 miles of range on one full tank of gas, and a 2.0L EcoBoost engine producing 250hp of power while mated to an 8-speed automatic and Intelligent All-Wheel Drive as well as 4,000lbs of towing capacity. The hybrid variant is for those who want a fuel-efficient truck good for the working class while the turbo variant is built for those who demand performance from the get-go.

It may be a pickup truck but because of its FF platform, the Maverick behaves like a city-focused crossover. Not dynamic as such but it's civilized and sensible in every way. It's capable to tackle through country roads like most Ford trucks should, living it up to its Built Ford Tough mantra. Not bad.

As for safety, the Maverick comes with Ford Co-Pilot360 technology with standard Pre-Collision Assist with Automatic Emergency Braking and Automatic High Beam Headlamps. When equipped with other ADAS, the Maverick is the safest compact pickup truck Ford ever made, whatever it is.

Despite its regular looks, cramped rear seats, the front-wheel-drive platform that made it the antithesis, the hybrid variant that behaves like a Japanese hybrid, and tons of ADAS that can scare the speedo boy straight behind the wheel, the Ford Maverick still lives up to its Built Ford Tough mantra just like its big brothers. It truly is a worthy addition to the lineup worth checking out, like it or not.

Photo: Ford Motor Company