2024 Ford Maverick Pickup

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Ford Motor Company leads the pack in the pickup truck race and while it is known for having America's best-selling full-size truck with the F-150 series, it also now has an excellent compact truck to add to its winning stable. The Ford Maverick was originally a two-door compact sedan that was produced from 1970 to 1977 in the United States. Named after free-willed unbranded range animals such as the Longhorn cattle seen on the car's nameplate, the Maverick was a low-priced little car with a price point of around $1,995 in 1970 dollars (equal to around $15,000 today). The name was set aside when the sedan went out of production in 1977 after over two million were sold.
 
Last year, Ford brought the famous nameplate back in the form of an all-new compact pickup truck based on the platform of the automaker's popular Escape Crossover SUV. Smaller than the mid-size Ranger truck, the new Maverick was first offered as a Hybrid truck, known for its EPA rating of 42 mpg in the city. The standard front-wheel drive Maverick included all-wheel drive as an option as well as a larger Turbo four-cylinder 2.0-liter engine for more performance and a towing capacity of 4,000 pounds.

What's new for 2024?

A few things have changed for the 2024 model. For one thing, the Hybrid version is now a $1,500 option and the base model truck comes standard with the Turbo-powered four-cylinder engine and front-wheel drive. All-wheel drive is still an available option. The Maverick comes in three trim levels, the baseline XL, the XLT, and the Lariat. The XL is your no-frills work truck but does include a tilting and telescoping steering wheel, remote keyless entry, and lumbar supports for the seats. The XLT adds 17-inch aluminum wheels, adaptive cruise control, dual-zone automatic climate control, a power locking tailgate, and power side view towing mirrors. The top-of-the-line Lariat includes such niceties as faux-leather power seats. A Tow package brings you the maximum towing capacity of 4,000 pounds with 1,500 pounds of payload in the truck bed, and a Tremor package makes the Maverick an off-road ready rock climber.

Under the Hood

The 2024 Maverick comes with a 2.0-liter Turbocharged four-cylinder engine that produces 250 horsepower and 277 pound feet of torque married to an eight-speed automatic transmission. A Hybrid powertrain is now optional offering a 2.5-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine and an electric motor for a combined 191 horses. The Hybrid version is only offered with front-wheel drive and a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT).
 
The turbocharged gasoline engine is quick, bringing you from zero to 60 mph in 5.9 seconds. The Hybrid is a bit slower, getting you to 60 mph in 7.7 seconds. Even in Hybrid form, the Maverick gives you 1,500 pounds of payload capacity and 2,000 pounds of towing capacity. When it comes to fuel economy, the Hybrid has an EPA estimated rating of 42 mpg city/33 mpg highway; the conventional gas-only Maverick with front-wheel drive will take you 23 mpg city/30 mpg highway; and the all-wheel drive variant gets 22 mpg city/29 mpg highway.

Inside the Cabin

All versions of the Maverick are four-door crew cabs with a roomy back seat to accommodate five passengers. You'll find a number of storage bins throughout the cabin including storage cubbies under the rear seat. An 8-inch infotainment touchscreen in the central dash of all Maverick trims includes Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and a Wi-Fi hot spot as standard. Optional extras include an upgraded stereo, wireless smartphone charging, and SiriusXM satellite radio.
 
When it comes to safety and driver assist technology, the Maverick brings you a number of popular features. Automated emergency braking is standard on all trim levels and lane-departure warning with lane-keep assist and adaptive cruise control is available in higher trim levels.
Overall, the cabin feels more upscale than the truck's low price would suggest. It is laid out in a practical and well-equipped manner with all the necessities, even in the base level. The design is artistic and attractive and there's a surprising amount of room in the back seat. Ford tells us that the 4.5-foot bed of the truck will fit 18 sheets of four-by-eight plywood and comes with a 12-volt power outlet. A standard 110-volt electric power outlet is optional.

On the Road

Drive modes in the Maverick include normal, tow/haul, slippery, eco, and sport for all your driving needs. The truck has a tight 40 foot turning circle from curb to curb and it handles well. The cabin is very quiet even at highway speeds and it is a great compact truck for city or highway driving. On winding country roads, the Maverick feels more like a car than a truck. Steering is tight and handling is predictable. It handles highway onramps with the greatest of ease and you'll feel right at home behind the wheel.
 
The turbo four-cylinder has plenty of power and the Hybrid variant gives you incredible fuel economy. The choice is yours.
In Conclusion
If Ford has its way, the small pickup truck is finally back and the Maverick is leading the way in this emerging segment. While it is built on a car rather than a truck platform, it offers ample payload and towing capability and the 2.0-liter engine gives you plenty of oomph. We might want to go for the four-wheel drive and 4,000-pound towing options.
 
Starting MSRP for the base XL model is just $23,400. The XLT goes for $26,315 and the top tier Lariat comes in at $34,855. By comparison, the only other similar compact pickup truck on the market as of this writing is the Hyundai Santa Cruz that has a starting MSRP of $26,650. We think the Maverick is a good-looking, practical little truck from America's favorite purveyor of pickups. What more could you want?