Car Reviews
Ford Maverick XLT AWD Hybrid – A FULLER SLATE
Ford Maverick XLT AWD Hybrid
A FULLER SLATE
In late April, the motoring world took note of a new EV pickup, dubbed Slate. With the backing of Jeff Bezos (yeah, THAT Jeff Bezos), the minimalistic Slate marks a return to bare-bones motoring, or – at least – as bare bones as today’s EV platform will probably get. Most notable was its projected base price of $27,500, which – with the Fed’s EV incentive of $7500 (set to expire at the end of September) – would bring the transaction price close to $20K. That incentive’s expiration really didn’t matter in April; a new truck was coming, venturing into an entry-level market that had long been ignored. Except that Ford and its hybrid-powered Maverick was already there – and the segment hadn’t been ignored.
I got my first look at the all-new Maverick in the late winter of 2022, and I gotta’ admit – it was and remains transformational. Into a growing number of compact or midsize pickups (Tacomas, Frontiers, Colorados and Ford’s own Ranger) the Maverick clothed its unibody platform with four doors, an abbreviated bed and – with its standard hybrid powertrain – 40+ city miles per gallon. Beyond the efficiency was a comfortable, composed platform, enough room for a young family and enough pickup for your Home Depot run. And on top of all that, with the typical pickup going for somewhere north – often ‘way’ north – of $40K, the Maverick’s base in hybrid, front-wheel drive form was just $25,000. What’s not to like?
Over three years later a Maverick hybrid has returned to my drive, this time with available all-wheel drive, an upmarket XLT trim, a $29K base price and – with options and destination – a $36,500 MSRP. Obviously, the XLT provides both exterior and interior enhancements that the folks at Car and Driver regard as worthwhile (the XLT is the trim they’d choose), but I’m looking at that $6K difference over today’s base, and the almost $10K difference between today and 2022 and I’m still wishing it was 2022 – as does, I’ll guess, Joe Biden.
With the obvious creep of the window sticker, $36K still falls well short of the monies expended on most new vehicles; the median price of a new car or crossover is apparently sitting in the high $40s – and pickups typically hang in the $50s or $60s! This XLT trim adds refinements such as push-button start, tie-downs in the bed and 17-inch alloys on the ground. And our $36K window included the XLT luxury package, an almost-$2K upgrade which adds – among other features – an 8-way power drivers seat. Yup, two grand…
Under the hood Ford supplies the hybrid 2.5 liter, which takes that 2.5 liter four of 162 horsepower, adds two AC motors and ends up with a combined output of 191 horsepower. That’s delivered to the ground via a CVT automatic. With this you ‘enjoy’ leisurely acceleration (think 0-60 in under 8 seconds, according to the right foot of a Car and Driver staffer), along with an EPA estimated economy of 40 City/34 Highway/37 Combined. As you’d guess, this is substantially better than your dad’s F-150. (Or, for that matter, our F-150, owned for a short time during Covid.)
If fuel efficiency isn’t top of mind (and if you want a pickup as a 3rd ‘car’ it may not be top of mind), the alternative is a 2.0 liter turbocharged four, with better acceleration, an 8-speed auto and the aforementioned available all-wheel drive. And that can be purchased for roughly the same coin as the hybrid. The EPA highway estimate drops to 30, while the city estimate is but 22. But if driving less than 10,000 miles a year you may not notice, relative to groceries or utilities.
Inside Ford’s XLT trim still screams entry-level, with a design and color scheme that might have a generational appeal – albeit not to this generation. Seating is comfortable in front, while the rear bench is less comfortable. That back bench does fold up, revealing concealed storage beneath it. But don’t think you’ll throw any big boxes in that direction – better to relegate them to the (abbreviated) bed.
On a drive to the Allentown, PA area of roughly three hours, we were impressed by the Maverick’s composure, along with a gas gauge that just didn’t move. Getting to 60 may be somewhat leisurely, but on the road the small Ford just hums along at 70+. And its interior comfort is almost sublime. Or serene. Or serenely sublime.
Word has it that Ford is considering a van built atop the Maverick’s underpinnings, perhaps as an evolution of its Transit Connect. That sounds fine, but I’d enjoy a small Flex-like wagon on this same platform. I think a crossover could perhaps offer more versatility, along with more passenger room. And, you know, around $25K…
