Ford's unibody 2022 Maverick aims to revitalize the compact pickup

Confirming one of the industry's worst-kept product secrets, Ford in early June unveiled the 2022 Maverick, its return to the compact-pickup segment that the original Ford Ranger anchored for nearly 30 years. The new 4-door, 5-passenger, unibody Maverick brings three significant numbers - 40 mpg capability with the standard hybrid powertrain, a $20,000 base price and a cargo-friendly 30.1-in (764-mm) load-floor height - to a product segment that is ripe for revitalization in North America. And strategically, Maverick leverages the production scale and cost benefits of Ford's C2 global architecture that also underpins the Escape and Bronco Sport SUVs.

Maverick is the industry's first pickup with standard hybrid-electric propulsion. The system combines Ford's 2.5-L Atkinson-cycle 4-cylinder, SAE-rated at 162 hp, with the two-motor, power-split continuously variable transaxle used in the Escape hybrid. Total system output in this front-wheel-drive-only configuration is 191 hp. An optional non-hybrid system, available with both FWD and all-wheel drive, pairs a 2.0-L Ecoboost 4-cylinder SAE-rated at 250-hp and 277 lb-ft (375 Nm) with the 8F35 8-speed automatic.