Ford Maverick Hybrid: First Look Review

Note: Some of the pictures in the story are of the gas model.

Introduced in 2021, the Ford Maverick has been one of the hottest launches in the compact pickup truck segment in recent years. In 2023, more than half of its sales (52,361 out of 94,058 units) came from its Hybrid variant, which is one of the main reasons behind its success. Recently, I got an opportunity to see the Ford Maverick Hybrid in real and learn in-depth what else makes it so desirable. Here are my observations:

Design

The Ford Maverick Hybrid has a utilitarian exterior, and that’s a good thing. I feel its compact dimensions and friendly face give a nice contrast to its classic pickup truck shape and the traditional design cues like a large radiator grille and headlamps, squarish windows, and vertical tail lamps.

Having seen the Hyundai Santa Cruz just hours before, I could not help but think that there is some room for improvement in the Maverick Hybrid’s ruggedness. For example, I think the wheel arches could’ve been more muscular and featured gray cladding. The bumpers, or at least the front bumper, could’ve looked more assertive.

Interior

The Ford Maverick Hybrid has a simple yet modern interior, with just a hint of pickup truck cues, like the exposed screws on the dashboard and door panels, for instance. In my opinion, this cabin looks the best in the Desert Brown color, which gives it rustic vibes.

The multitude of physical controls for adjusting the dual-zone climate control system, the stereo volume, the radio frequency, and other functions that most drivers use while driving the vehicle make the Maverick Hybrid easy to adapt, something customers buying it as their first vehicle will truly appreciate. I touched the dashboard and center console panels and used the various switches and buttons in the interior and found it to be different grades of hard plastic, and the operation of the switchgear to be pretty much standard Ford quality of this price segment.

I wanted to know if the Maverick Hybrid felt like sitting in a truck or a normal car, and when I hopped into its driver’s seat, the ingress was comfortable. The sitting position was comparable to a compact crossover, but the squarish windows offered good outward visibility. I’m six-foot tall, and I found the legroom in the front to be more than adequate, and the headroom was in a similar level, despite the sunroof. Under-thigh support in the front was surprisingly good for a compact truck.

The infotainment system isn’t one of Ford’s slick SYNC 4 units with a huge touchscreen but a SYNC 3 unit with an 8-inch display. It looked just as basic as expected, which meant it was easy to get acquainted with. I was disappointed to see that Ford still hasn’t enabled wireless connection for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in the Maverick Hybrid even two years after the launch.

Stepping into the rear of the cabin was easy despite the small door. I wanted to see if I could stretch as comfortably as in the front, and I found that the legroom was adequate. The angle of the backrest was fine, while the under-thigh support felt more than enough. As for headroom, here again, I didn’t find it to be lacking, with the headliner pushed towards the roof to generate about an inch of additional space.

However, the issue for taller passengers back here is the knee room. Ford has carved out the seat backs to create that little extra room, but it wouldn’t be possible to fit two six-footers back to back in this vehicle comfortably.

Driving impressions

The Ford Maverick Hybrid clubs a 2.5-liter gas engine making 162 horsepower and 155 lb.-ft. of torque with an electric motor good for 126 horsepower and 173 lb.-ft. of torque. In all, there’s 191 horsepower available at the pedal, which makes the hybrid pickup truck capable enough to haul up to 1,500 lbs. and tow up to 2,000 lbs. The 4.5-foot-long bed is low, so I was able to reach it very easily. The towing capacity isn’t that good, but it’s still not bad for what’s supposed to be a light truck.

Drive reports from acclaimed American publications suggest that the Maverick Hybrid feels lively off the line, as it has a good low-end torque because of the e-motor. While it isn’t blisteringly quick across the rev range, it’s no slouch either. When driving faster on a normal road or climbing up a hill, the hybrid pickup truck doesn’t get stressed. eCVT is uncommon among pickup trucks, but Ford seems to have developed such a refined powertrain that most drivers would forget its presence in this model.

The unibody chassis shared with the Escape and Bronco Sport gives the Maverick Hybrid good on-road manners. It feels easy to drive everywhere, be it in city traffic, in a tight parking lot, on wide-open highways, or on gravel roads in rural areas. The most appealing aspect of the Maverick Hybrid is its fuel economy, which is 42 MPG (city)/33 MPG (highway)/37 MPG (combined). Reviewers have achieved as much as 40 MPG (combined) effortlessly.

Price

The Ford Maverick Hybrid’s prices start at USD 25,315 and go up to USD 34,135 (excl. USD 1,595 destination charges).

TopElectricSUV says

The Ford Maverick Hybrid offers good performance, a comfortable and decently-equipped interior, and, best of all – an inflation-beating impressive fuel economy. While it’s not so great on style or towing capacity and roughly USD 5,000 more expensive than when it was launched in 2021, it’s still a great package overall and a killer deal compared to what other compact pickup trucks offer for its price.

Ford Maverick Hybrid FAQs

Note that some of the pictures in the story represent the gas model.