US$20K hybrid ute revives Ford Maverick name; not for Oz

Ford has unleashed its new Maverick ute – or pickup truck – which comes with a hybrid system and sharp price tag, at least in America.

While it borrows tough truck styling cues from its Ford Ranger cousin, the two share nothing in common, with the Maverick borrowing a car-like monocoque construction used under the Ford Kuga and Focus and the America-only Bronco Sport (the baby brother to the Jeep-rivalling Bronco). The Maverick is also smaller than the Ranger, the latest in an emerging breed of compact pickup trucks.

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That makes it closer in its basic makeup to a Falcon Ute, once one of the most popular utes on Australian roads.

But don’t expect to see the Maverick in Australia anytime soon.

Like the rival Hyundai Santa Cruz, there are no plans to sell the Maverick in Australia; for now it will only be manufactured with the steering wheel on the left.

Not that it wouldn’t find a niche in Australia, especially considering the chunky looks.

With independent suspension, the Maverick promises a more city-friendly driving experience than the rough and ready Ranger. For starters, it’s a front-wheel drive.

It also promises to sip rather than slurp.

The Maverick will be offered with a version of the 2.5-litre four-cylinder hybrid powertrain recently announced for the Escape, a car sold here as the Kuga (the Kuga is due to get a plug-in hybrid option late in 2021 or early 2022).

And in move that reinforces the importance of fuel efficiency, the Maverick Hybrid will be the price leader in the range.

Unlike the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, the Maverick Hybrid drives only the front wheels, using its 88kW electric motor to make a combined 142kW and 210Nm.

Overseas reports suggest an all-wheel drive hybrid could be developed later.

Otherwise, those wanting to option AWD must go for the petrol-only 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo, which makes 186kW and 376Nm (it’s a slightly different tune of the engine used in the Ford Escape SUV sold in Australia).

While the focus for the Maverick is more on-road than a Ranger, there will be an FX4 pack that brings modified suspension and all-terrain tyres for those wanting to get adventurous.

Other trim levels include XL, XLT and Lariat, each stepping up in equipment, which includes some modern materials and bold colours.

And there are adventurous touches throughout, such as 12V outlets to power camping gear and tie-down points that double as bottle openers.

While the hybrid boosts driving range and fuel economy, its tow capacity is limited to 907kg (the AWD 2.0 turbo can tow double that); think box trailers, tinnies and jetskis rather than caravans and big boats.

And the payload of both models is about 680kg, well under the circa-one-tonne expected of the top-selling utes in Australia.

The Maverick Hybrid is also the price leader in the lineup, priced from US$19,995 ($25,900) before taxes. To put that in perspective, a dual-cab Ranger 4×4 starts at about US$31,325 ($40,500) compared with about $48,690 for our cheapest dual-cab 4×4 (which is diesel rather than petrol).

Still, it suggests that if Ford Australia ever did get the opportunity to sell the Maverick here – highly unlikely in the medium term – it could hover around the $35K mark locally.

For those with a long memory, they’ll remember the Maverick name from Fords sold in Australia in the 1980s.

But they were more Nissan than Ford. The original Ford Maverick was a rebadged Nissan Patrol that was the product of the badge engineering era of the Australian car industry.

Like all other badge engineered cars it failed to trouble the donor car for sales.