Ford builds an affordable, efficient small truck: The new Maverick
This is the 2022 Ford Maverick. It comes with a hybrid powertrain as standard and starts at $19,995. [credit: Ford ]
America's love affair with the truck shows no signs of abating. The country buys millions of the vehicles each year; they're the bread and butter of domestic automakers. But not everyone is well-served by the products on offer. Some might want a truck but are turned off by their ever-increasing size, particularly hood heights that hide small pedestrians. Others are put off by the poor fuel efficiency of trucks. Enter Ford. After blowing everyone's socks off with its electric F-150 Lightning, the Blue Oval is back with yet another truck, but this one is small, efficient, and cheap-it's the new Ford Maverick.
The Maverick uses a monocoque chassis construction rather than a body-on-frame. At just under 200 inches (5,072 mm) in length, it's significantly shorter than the (232-inch/5,885-mm) F-150 and smaller even than even the Ranger. That means a shorter and lower hood and therefore a smaller forward blind spot, which will be welcome news to pedestrians, cyclists, and road users with small cars.
Under that small hood, you'll find a hybrid powertrain that combines a 162 hp (120 kW), 155 lb-ft (210 Nm), 2.5 L four-cylinder gasoline engine (that operates on the more efficient Atkinson cycle) with a 126 hp (94 kW), 173 lb-ft (235 Nm) permanent magnet electric motor. Together, they provide 191 hp (142 kW) to the front wheels via a continuously variable transmission.
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