Ford has launched an array of exciting new vehicles over the past 12 months or so. The company debuted the Mustang Mach E, put the long-awaited Bronco into production, revamped the F-150 Raptor and previewed the all-electric F-150 Lightning. But the most groundbreaking new vehicle — and the one that will have the most impact for those on a budget — is Ford’s new compact pickup, the Maverick.
The Maverick is a cool-looking practical truck, in whichever version you’re looking at. The base model engine is a 2.5-liter hybrid that earns 42 mpg in city driving — and it’s legitimately affordable, with a starting MSRP of $19,995. The Maverick hybrid is a vehicle that can revolutionize an affordable car segment plagued with bland econoboxes. The trouble is…you’re not going to be able to buy one for quite a while.
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Ford did not include the hybrid model in the initial Maverick dealer allotments. Message boards found a notice to dealers that Maverick orders won’t be scheduled, and Ford PR’s Mike Levine has confirmed to CarBuzz that the Maverick hybrid is sold out. Ford won’t even reopen ordering on them until next summer. So those who want to order a hybrid Maverick — I was just about ready to count myself among them — may now have to wait nearly another calendar year to bring one home.
The turbo-four-powered gas-only Maverick is currently at Ford dealers, however. It’s not the groundbreaking value that the hybrid model is, but it offers some compelling features the hybrid does not. The uprated combustion engine puts out 250 hp and 277 lb-ft of torque. Unlike the hybrid, you can fit the combustion model with all-wheel drive and an Fx4 off-road package. You receive an eight-speed automatic, rather than a CVT, and you can upgrade to a 4,000-pound towing capacity. The rub, is the combustion Maverick gets about 20 mpg worse fuel economy than the hybrid in city driving.
Typically, this would be where I would tell you Ford is leaving the door open for a competitor to swoop in. But Hyundai is aiming for a different audience with the Santa Cruz. And there really is nothing like the Maverick hybrid on the market.