The automaker stopped making small trucks after the original Ranger was cancelled a decade ago. The Ranger name returned for 2020 attached to a midsize model. For 2022, the new Maverick becomes Ford’s smallest (close to a foot shorter than the Ranger) and least expensive hauler. The unitized (frameless) platform originally developed for the Ford Escape and Bronco Sport underpins the four-door, five-passenger Maverick. It comes with a 4.5-foot-long bed and a cargo capacity of 1,500 pounds. The Maverick’s standard hybrid powertrain consists of a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and an electric motor. The system generates 191 horsepower and 155 pound-feet of torque. A continuously variable transmission directs power to the front wheels. All-wheel-drive is available with the optional turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 250 horses and 277 pound-feet. It’s linked to an eight-speed automatic. Pricing starts at $21,500.
The Maverick is nearly a foot shorter than the Ranger pickup and shares platforms with the Ford Escape utility vehicle. The starting price rivals that of a compact car. PHOTO: FORD