The 2022 Ford Maverick takes a different approach to how it targets truck shoppers and why it could be the next big thing everyone will be looking to grab. There is already an option for a high-end, high-performance pickup, just the same as there is already an option for light-duty trailering, off-road adventures, and heavy-duty hauling. So Ford opted to target a brand new compact truck at a market segment that seemed to be getting the shaft when it comes to those looking for an affordable truck with modular features.
Fuel Economy
Buying certain kinds of high-performance trucks usually doesn’t result in a vehicle with great fuel economy. Unless you’re buying a recent generation of the F-Series, most of your fuel economy needs will be found with higher efficiency from other smaller vehicles. Sure, you can settle for a mid-20s EPA range from a compact or light-duty pickup, but what if you want more?
The highlight of the 2022 Ford Maverick is that it’s a brand new truck that has some of the best fuel economy available in its class. It targets an impressive 40 miles per gallon in the city! How impressive is that? How impressive is that? It has a combined fuel economy of 37 miles per gallon, which is still quite impressive for a compact truck. Actually, it’s impressive regardless of the vehicle class. Those are the kind of figures you would expect from a subcompact sedan or a hybrid hatchback. In some ways, the comparisons aren’t far off because the 2022 Ford Maverick is running a hybrid powertrain.
Unlike some other hybrids out there, though, it’s not a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. Instead, the Ford Maverick still runs on fuel but has an accompanying battery pack to work concurrently with the 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine. This gives the hybrid Maverick an estimated range of 500 miles on a single, full tank of gas. You’ll be hard-pressed to find another brand new pickup that delivers that kind of mileage at an acceptable entry-level price point.
Modular FlexBed
Keeping with the theme of versatile storage space, the 2022 Maverick features a really cool modular rear bed, known as the FlexBed. It was specifically designed for those who needed a flexible rear bed for a wide number of different tasks. This is a huge departure from the fixed rear beds you might be used to from most other pickup trucks that have their designated storage areas, outlets, and multi-functional tailgates. The FlexBed is specifically designed to be modified, altered, and upgraded with aftermarket tune-ups, installations, and accessories.
The FlexBed contains everything from two 12-volt wires to LED bed lights, as well as a multi-functional tailgate with easy-to-adjust angled settings depending on what you plan to carry. If you needed a compact pickup that was specifically designed for hauling up to 1,500 pounds worth of materials, you would likely have to target a work truck trim. But then you run the risk of being shortchanged in other features, especially when it comes to passenger volume or keeping it under budget. That’s not a problem for the Maverick.
With the modular FlexBed, you can outfit the truck to suit your work, travel, hauling, or cargo needs; it’s fully featured right out of the gate. What’s more is that Ford already has DIY videos and guides canvassing a number of different ways to implement storage, security features, shelving, and more for the FlexBed, using makeshift supplies. The added bonus of being able to wire electronics and even aftermarket bed lighting through a rear panel in the bed just makes it that much more enticing as an affordable alternative to buying a less functional truck for a higher price.
Price Point
This is the real clincher here. You just can’t beat the entry price point of the 2022 Ford Maverick. Across the four trims (which includes the XL, XLT, Lariat, and the First Edition), the Maverick’s XL trim has a starting price point of just $19,995. Crazy, right? Of course, it is. That’s the kind of price tag you would expect from a decade-old truck with over 50,000 miles on it. Yet, it’s the price tag for a brand new, straight-off-the-line 2022 Ford Maverick.
This is such a game-changer because there’s no reason not to go with a Ford Maverick if you’re looking to buy a compact truck. Why would you even consider buying anything else? Especially if the price is the biggest deciding factor. You may as well go with a Maverick. Sure, an argument could be made about performance, power, towing capacity, or off-road capabilities, but if affordability and versatile functionality are at the top of the priority list, it just makes sense to buy a new 2022 Maverick instead.
In some ways, targeting consumers looking to buy an affordable new truck is a brilliant move by Ford. An undeniably attractive price point coupled with all of the modular design aspects could give the Maverick very long legs in the sales department and could easily keep people signing on the dotted line at our own Kings Ford, your local Ford Maverick dealer, for this new hybrid. It’s also hard to argue going with another truck as an entry-level vehicle when you have an affordable, fully-featured compact in the form of the 2022 Maverick that fulfills so many roles at such a low starting price.