The Ford Maverick Will Be Electrified

Excitement over the Ford Maverick has been steadily brewing for some time now. After all, who doesn’t want a more affordable alternative to the Ford Ranger, especially if you don’t need that much space? Following some leaked images of the new pickup, we can confirm that it’ll be quite a looker, but what will power it? Well, we know that it’ll share a platform with the Ford Escape, a vehicle that is offered with a hybrid powertrain. So although we don’t know all the options just yet, a hybrid has always seemed likely. Now, Ford Authority confirms that insiders have guaranteed an electrified Maverick.

According to the site, “sources familiar with Ford’s product plans have confirmed that the 2022 Ford Maverick hybrid is in fact real.” Unfortunately, that’s as close as we’re getting to hard facts at the moment, but we do expect that the hybrid system will allow for all-electric drive at certain speeds. Beyond the Escape Hybrid’s 2.5-liter Duratec inline-four and Atkinson-cycle hybrid system, reports suggest that the Maverick will be offered with either a 1.5-liter EcoBoost three-pot or a 2.0-liter EcoBoost four-banger. Whichever engines are offered, an eight-speed auto seems likely, although the potential of a naturally aspirated four-cylinder as the base engine means that we might get another transmission too.

Other than those rumors, we can confirm that the Maverick will be a four-door SuperCrew model only and will be smaller than the Ranger. Fitted with a cheaper twist-beam rear suspension setup, the front-wheel-drive Maverick will have a base cost of less than $20,000. For those who want more security, all-wheel-drive models will be offered too, with these using a more advanced independent rear suspension setup similar to what features on the Bronco Sport. Hopefully, Ford will break its silence on the Maverick soon so that we can finally give official confirmation on all these details. We’ll keep you updated as and when the Blue Oval gives us more info.