The Ford plant in Hermosillo, Sonora is turning 35 years old, which was initially a collaboration between Ford and Mazda, over time it was consolidated as a strategic production point for the firm of the blue oval thanks to its excellent competitiveness, quality, and efficiency. For the change from producing Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ, to Bronco Sport and Maverick, 1.800 million dollars were invested, 1120 new jobs were created and the current capacity is 252 thousand units, although they are already looking for a way to expand it (an additional shift ), given the success of both Bronco Sport and Maverick.
These investments have a much broader vision than the manufacture of this pair of models, we are talking about producing electrified models for example, and many other possibilities. We’ll see.
It is true that when Ford announced that Maverick would be the name chosen for its new entry pickup, muscle car fans did not take it in the best light. However, the market has received it wonderfully.
Engine and technical characteristics
Unlike traditional pick-ups, the Maverick uses a self-supporting chassis shared with the Bronco Sport and Escape, that is, it does not use the traditional body-on-frame architecture. This translates to less weight, better driving dynamics on paved roads, and better fuel efficiency. Although of course, there are also sacrifices, and the main one is that the load and drag capacities are not very great.
Knowing the above, the Ford Maverick 2022 offers a load capacity of 707 kilos, as well as a towing capacity of 907 kilos, which will be more than enough for bicycles, motorcycles, small trailers, etc. By the way, the towing equipment is already standard.
There are two engines available, a hybrid that consists of a 2.5-liter + electric motor, CVT box, and front-wheel drive that at the moment is not available in Mexico, and the reason is very simple, it is a success in the US and they are going to give it a priority to that market, but it is a fact that we will also have here later.
The other engine, which is the one we were able to handle, is the 2.0-liter Ecoboost with 250 hp and 277 lb-ft of torque that is associated with an 8-speed automatic transmission and that sends the power to all four wheels via an AWD system. The rear suspension is independent.
It measures 5 meters, or 5.072mm to be exact, this is 282mm less than a Ranger, but 372mm more than a Renault Oroch, as you can see it sits right in the middle. And consequently, it does not have frontal competition, the only one would be the Hyundai Santa Cruz, which is not yet confirmed that it will reach our country.
Design
The Maverick successfully manages to convey that tough image that Ford pickup always had, boy if you ask me, it looks even tougher than its older sister, the Ranger.
Although it shares a platform with the Bronco Sport, you will not find virtually anybody panels used on both models, the Maverick has a very straight front, very flat hood, and few lines of character. On the other hand, both the front and rear light groups are very large and the fact that the tires used are completely oriented to use in the city and road stands out, perhaps with a more appropriate thread for off-road use, the Maverick could be seen even rougher.
The cargo trough is larger than you would think, plus it has hooks to tie the cargo, 12-volt power outlets, and Bedliner as standard. While the Maverick was designed more with a focus on adventure pursuits rather than hard work, it still delivers that signature pick-up practicality.
2022 Ford Maverick Interior
Inside doors, we find a familiar air with the Bronco Sports thanks to the decorations in metallic brown color or the seat lining in synthetic leather with a blue and brown combination, however, when we go into detail we also find that the Maverick has its own and well-defined personality.
The build quality is impeccable, although in terms of materials it falls a step behind the Bronco Sport, even so, there is no Ranger that offers this level of experience in the interior (design, materials, and assembly), and by the way no other. of the midsize segment, read Hilux, L200, or Frontier.
As for the equipment, there is everything you need, an 8 ”central touch screen that has a small slot on one side to store an object and that makes us think that a much larger screen will be available later. It also has the SYNC 3 system that is compatible with Apple Carplay and Android Auto, it also offers LTE connectivity and connection with the FordPass mobile phone app.
The air conditioning is automatic with two zones, it has a sunroof and the ignition is using a smart key. There is also a multifunction steering wheel, a cluster with a color screen, USB and USB C ports, among others.
Although the Maverick might seem small, it offers more than enough interior space to comfortably carry two adults in the back, it is surprising how well the interior space is used.
2022 Ford Maverick: Driving
Behind the wheel, the Maverick offers a sedan- or SUV-like handling (the kind that handles well), is agile, well planted, and conveys the confidence to hit the road at a good pace. This is one of the great gains from using a monocoque chassis. Forget about that traditional bouncy and rough ride of a pickup truck.
It does not demand any sacrifice in terms of comfort, it is also quite quiet and refined. To put it in context, you would need to go way up the price range to find another pickup that handles better, I’m talking about the Ram 1500 that has air suspension, that’s how well the Maverick handles.
By taking the 2.0 Ecoboost under the hood two things are guaranteed, you will have good responsiveness and high consumption if you are not careful with the accelerator.
We will have to drive it on city roads and off the beaten track and even put some load on it to see how it behaves in those conditions, but in this first contact, the perception it leaves me is excellent.
Conclusion
It is true that in Latin America we are used to pick-ups manufactured from a monocoque chassis; Chevrolet Tornado, Volkswagen Saveiro, and RAM 700 have been around for a long time. But they were always a solution as accessible as possible for the needs of a pickup, and consequently austere and small.
The Renault Oroch is the first that tried to be the solution to all needs: flexibility, practicality, space, and comfort. And boy does it do well, but it still demands sacrifices, such as the lack of more powerful engines, greater refinement, or a more modern automatic transmission option.
The Ford Maverick does all that and is much better, it is a vehicle that you will be able to drive daily without getting tired, without consuming too much and that still offers space and versatility. The point is, if you don’t need it to carry packages of cement, it is the best pick-up you could buy.
