2022 Ford Maverick Hybrid

The 2022 Ford Maverick is offered in three extensive trim levels namely: XL, XLT, and the top-tier Lariat. And for people who’ve been riding other pickup trucks from Ford would’ve been familiar with Ford’s typical trim nomenclature. So, the base trim is equipped with just the right amount of features like the Cloth upholstery, Power windows, and 8-inch touchscreen to name a few. But it has the liberty to upgrade with most of the upper trim level stuff. While the XLT variant adds some features like Upgraded upholstery and cruise control on top of the standard gear.

The top-spec Lariat version packs a whole lot of available features out there like the Upgraded driver information display, Dual-zone Electronic Automatic Temperature Control, and a 6.5-inch productivity screen. And yeah, there's a Special Edition of Maverick that goes by the name, Maverick Lariat First Edition which includes additional features like a black roof, power moonroof, lower door graphics, and 18-inch black wheels. It can be owned by paying $1,495 extra.

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Since the Ford Maverick isn’t designed to be your typical work-horse, we recommend going for the XLT with AWD and Hybrid powertrain as it has all the essential features and ample amount of performance attributes. But if you’re more on the utility-oriented side, we recommend optioning up with the 4K Tow Package that offers 4000 pounds of Towing capacity.

Release date

At the moment, Ford didn’t reveal the exact launch date but mentioned that it would go on sale starting this fall. It is being manufactured at Hermosillo Assembly, Mexico.

This is one segment where the Maverick has hit it out of the ball-park. Ford is yet to announce the exact fuel estimates for the EcoBoost engine while we have the Hybrid engine estimates and they are outstanding for a pickup truck. It offers a mileage of 37 mpg in the combined use case with 40 mpg in the city roads and 33 mpg on the highways which is evident through the company’s official brochure. We should wait a few more weeks for the practical usage and on-road testing to see the true efficiency of this Hybrid engine.

When compared, none of its contemporaries offer better or even come closer to the Ford Maverick in terms of fuel efficiency. While the recent entrant, the Hyundai Santa Cruz stood second with a mileage of 25 city/28 highway and a total range of 489 miles. Following it is the Ford Ranger with a combined mileage of 23 mpg and the Honda Ridgeline being the least efficient with 21 mpg of combined usage.

The interior of the Ford Maverick is very well designed with a simplistic and practicality blended into every dimension you could ever imagine. For instance, there are lots and lots of storage compartments in the door pockets and underneath the rear seats to compensate for the compact body design it has.

It offers comfortable cloth seats and leatherette upholstery in the upper trims, blue-dash, and textures combined with bits of orange running through them all over the cabin. The instrument cluster and other controls are all well laid out that every customer can easily walk through right in their first stance. 

But in contrast to the competitors, the leg and headroom in the Maverick could be a troublemaker for long-limbed adults and the rear seating room is also cramped while most of its competitors offer more room to accommodate 5 adults without any constraints. Of all, the Hyundai Santa Cruz offers a spacious seating lounge to comfortably seat people of all sizes. Some of the noteworthy interior features of the 2022 Ford Maverick include:

• 4.2-inch driver information display
• Cloth upholstery in the base and Leatherette upholstery seats in upper trims
• Front bucket seats
• Front-door storage bins
• Rear bench with flip-up rear-seat cushion and available under-seat storage

How intuitive is the 2022 Ford Maverick’s Infotainment System?

The compact pickup has all the features to make your ride joyful and relaxing after a long day at work. In the center is the 8-inch infotainment screen as standard across all the variants integrated with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

We have a 6-Speaker sound system as standard on the XL andXLT versions while the consumer opting for the Lariat trim can enjoy the 8-Speaker B&O Sound System by Bang & Olufsen. Additionally, we have 2 USB ports for the base trim and 4 USB ports in the upper trims, a standard wireless charging pad, and FordPass Connect too. Highlights of the 2022 Ford Maverick infotainment include:

• 8-inch center-stack touchscreen with infotainment controls
• Standard Apple Car Play & Android Auto
• 6 Speaker sound system and B&O Sound System by Bang & Olufsen with 8 Speakers available on Lariat
• FordPass Connect with 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot
• Two front USB ports

The Ford Maverick inherits the truck DNA and it looks as dynamic as its higher-end siblings do. After all, Ford’s been doing this for decades now. In order to make it look charismatic and brawny, a grille with a high bar is affixed on its boxy-shaped front fascia. It is served with two full-LED Headlamps on either side of the grille sweeping all across the corners. Also, the body is well-chiseled to maintain and offer a better aerodynamic approach.

And then we have a 4.5-footbed that comes with many options like the tie-downs(6 for the base variant and 10 for the XLT and Lariat trims), available in-bed outlet, FLEXBED solutions, and finally, a multi-position tailgate that extends the bed floor-length by another 1.5 feet to a total length of 6 feet. Plus, we have two 400-watt 110V outlets that can power all your mid-size appliances and gadgets during your weekend expeditions.

Again, going by the dimensions, Ford Maverick turns out to be the compact pickup out there when compared as the Ford Ranger and Honda Ridgeline sport a beefy body structure. Also, the Ford Maverick weighs significantly lesser than its counterparts while the weight of the Hyundai Santa Cruz is unknown. In terms of wheelbase, the Ford ranger has the best and the Santa Cruz is the least, although the Maverick’s short wheelbase combined with its dynamic suspension will help you get over more obstacles on the rougher roads. Highlights of 2022 Ford Maverick’s exterior include:

• LED Headlamps
• 4.5 Feet cargo bed
• 6 cargo bed tie-down hooks
• 17 and 18-inch painted aluminum wheels
• Wiper-activated headlamps

The 2022 Ford Maverick isn’t yet tested by either of the testing agencies, hence we don’t have any evident record about the safety standards of the all-new Ford Maverick. But Ford has a grand reputation for its safety and driver-assistive technology in the pickup truck segment. The Maverick being the newest addition to the family, Ford did a commendable job by offering a wide range of active and passive safety features out of the box, although most of the features under the Ford Co-Pilot360 Technology were made optional. Some of the notable features include:

• Auto High-Beam Headlamps
• Rear View Camera
• Pre-Collision Assist
• Automatic Emergency Braking
• Forward Collision Warning
• Pre-Collision Assist
• Pedestrian alert
• Lane Departure Warning*
• Lane-Keeping Assist*
• Hill Descent Control*
• Blind-Spot Information system*
• Evasive Steering Assist*

(*marked are features that aren’t standard but could be optioned up by paying some extra money)

2022 Ford Maverick vs 2021 Ford Ranger

On a whole, the Ranger and Maverick totally belong to a different set of performance and functional traits. Of course, the Maverick is brought in for people who crave the capabilities of the Ranger but step back considering its mammoth size.

The Ranger beats Maverick with its ability in Towing, Payload, and the size of Cargo-bed. All in all, the Maverick is more economical than the Ranger and serves as a perfect utility vehicle despite being a compact pickup.

2022 Ford Maverick vs the 2021 Honda Ridgeline

When compared to the Ridgeline, the Maverick is more economical and compact. It weighs far less than the Ridgeline and is more fuel-efficient.

But when the performance and capabilities are taken into account, the Ridgeline outperforms the Maverick in every aspect, be it the Towing capacity, Cargo-bed or muscle. Yet, we need to consider the fact that Maverick isn’t made for tough-functionalities or extensive towing purposes.

2022 Ford Maverick vs the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz

The Ford Maverick exhibits significantly less towing capacity than the Hyundai Santa Cruz. Though we have an optional towing package available for Maverick to counter the 3500lbs of Santa Cruz’s towing capacity, the 2000 lbs would still be a disappointing fare.

In terms of dimensions and comfort, Maverick has an upper hand as it is longer and taller than the Santa Cruz. And yeah, it's way more fuel-efficient than the Santa Cruz, in fact, better than any pickup in this segment.

The 2022 Ford Maverick had a great response and started grabbing headlines lately. With comparatively low towing capabilities than its rivals, the Ford Maverick greatly sells for its efficient Hybrid powertrain and stunning fuel economy. It would be a great option for people looking for a vehicle that offers city maneuverability and truck functionality packed into a compact size. All that said, give this champ a try if you’re on for a cheerful weekend experience on not-so toughest roads.