2025 Ford Maverick Hybrid Review + Video

With respect to all the pickups puttering around without much payload beyond the lone occupants inside them, the real market for tiny trucks is bigger than a good deal of Canadians would care to admit.

Make no mistake: this isn’t an attempt to denigrate those who decide to drive something with an open bed at the back, but the size of most of the trucks dotting driveways across the country seems disproportionate to the jobs they’re typically tasked with. And while midsize models have their appeal, Ford’s miniature Maverick delivers a unique combination of capability, affordability, and, in the case of the hybrid model, efficiency.

Alas, Canadians’ collective love of four-wheel traction hasn’t helped this otherwise outstanding pickup earn the audience it deserves, with its impressive gas-electric powertrain hooked up to the front wheels alone for the first few years of its existence. That finally changes with the 2025 Ford Maverick Hybrid, which has gained a handful of updates including the availability of all-wheel drive for the first time. And best of all, it barely burns more gas than before.

Fuel Economy 10 / 10

OK, the Maverick Hybrid can still be had in a front-wheel-drive format for those who want it that way, but opting for the mechanical linkage that connects the rear wheels to the rest of what’s happening under this truck’s right-sized sheet metal means a combined fuel consumption rate of 6.3 L/100 km. That’s nearly the same as its front-wheel-drive sibling (6.2), and significantly better than the gas-only Maverick (9.4 to 10.1, depending on trim).

Even more impressive was this tester’s indicated average: an astonishing 4.1 L/100 km over the course of a 50-km circuit of city streets. That’s where a hybrid like this does its best work since it can lean on the electric portion of its powertrain for motivation rather than the gas engine. Even then, the full week behind the wheel finished at a manually calculated 5.5 L/100 km across nearly 400 km of driving both around town and on the highway.

Power 7 / 10

The Maverick Hybrid gets its power from a 2.5L four-cylinder that runs on the Atkinson cycle, which prioritizes efficiency over output. That’s where the electric motor it’s paired with helps, providing valuable torque to make up for the outright grunt the gas engine lacks on its own. Net output registers at 191 hp — not exactly abundant, but more than enough to move this truck swiftly and manage passing manoeuvres even as the transmission protests loudly.

Driving Feel 9 / 10

This being an automatic continuously-variable transmission (CVT), it’s not out of character for the powertrain to make itself known with a heavy foot on the throttle. The absence of conventional gears means the engine drones as it winds out almost endlessly — or at least until pedal pressure is eased — but the Maverick Hybrid is a hearty performer in spite of its efficiency-first mandate. No, it doesn’t have the guts of the gas-only version, but it does just fine.

Meanwhile, whoever developed the steering system should teach a master class in how to get it right, with a good amount of resistance that requires deliberate action to change direction without turning each input into a wrestling match. Coupled with impressive responsiveness that’s a credit, at least in part, to its narrow track — that’s the lateral distance between the wheels — and the way this truck handles is a true highlight.

Comfort 7 / 10

Ride quality leans heavily towards look-at-me-I’m-a-real-truck territory, with the same sort of bucking and bouncing that’s typical of these machines no matter their size. That doesn’t mean the Maverick is uncomfortable, and its long wheelbase — relative to its width, of course — (mostly) makes easy work of expansion joints and other cracks in the road. Instead, it’s imperfections under each wheel in isolation that can be disruptive, but not especially so.

Where this feels a bit like a budget entry is inside, with firm foam density and very little contouring to the chairs themselves — especially the lower cushions. While affordable trucks have historically skipped over comfortable seating as part of their utilitarian demeanours, the Maverick’s positioning as a proper alternative to a car or crossover makes the situation a little less tenable, although in fairness it’s only troublesome during long drives.

Practicality 9 / 10

The Maverick’s diminutive dimensions mean it can’t compete with a half-ton truck when it’s time to tow or haul, but it isn’t entirely hopeless, either. That’s true even of this hybrid version, which can now be equipped with the stuff it needs — hitch, improved engine and transmission cooling, and integrated trailer brake controller — to pull a maximum of 1,814 kg (4,000 lb) compared to 907 kg (2,000 lb) without.

Naturally, the bed’s smaller than most others on the market at 1,346 mm (4-foot-5), although its shorter height — including the bedsides — makes it inherently easier to use than what’s found on the back of a bigger, taller truck. It also features the typical tie-downs for cargo, plus there’s an available 400-watt inverter that includes a power outlet in the back. Maximum payload ratings are 680 kg (1,500 lb) with front-wheel drive and 635 kg (1,400 lb) with all-wheel drive.

User-Friendliness 7 / 10

Climbing in and out of the Maverick is easy, with car-like access courtesy of its relatively low ride. Once inside, outward visibility is good in all directions, while the centre console has space for small items including a dedicated spot to prop up a smartphone. (Weirdly, the wireless charger that comes in the Lariat trim is beside the stand.) That’s also where to find the gear selection dial, which doesn’t have hard stops at drive and park and can spin endlessly instead.

The back of the cabin’s a little cramped, but the space itself is well used to make the most of what’s available. For example, there’s a storage area under the bench seat — although some of it’s lost to this hybrid version’s 1.1-kWh battery — while the doors are like the ones up front and feature big pockets that can accommodate tall bottles. And even if legroom isn’t exactly abundant, there’s enough of it for a pair of adults to fit even with both front seats occupied.

Another major update for 2025 is the addition of a 13.2-inch touchscreen that’s bigger, brighter, and better than the eight-inch unit it replaces. Wireless smartphone connectivity is along for the ride, as is a subscription-based Wi-Fi hotspot, although the bigger display comes at the cost of physical climate controls. Those are now handled via the head unit, which adds a distracting step to using them since there’s simply no way to train muscle memory for tapping a screen.

Styling 8 / 10

Like most modern vehicles, that touchscreen is the cabin’s centrepiece based on its size alone; however, Ford’s designers got creative with the space to make the most of the abundance of plastic that’s used throughout. The dash and doors feature exposed hardware and a parametric pattern that’s set against a mostly blue background, although that stuff clashes with most of the exterior paint choices — this shade of Velocity Blue included.

As with before, Ford hasn’t gone to pains to hide the fact this is a unibody pickup the way Honda has with the slightly bigger Ridgeline. That means the Maverick looks a little un-truck-like in the way its bedsides flow into the rest of the body panels, but that ties in well with its overall shape and size, which emphasizes smooth lines. Overall, the exterior styling is mostly the same as it was before, although the fang-like headlights aren’t as inoffensive as last year’s look.

Value 7 / 10

The Maverick remains an exceptionally affordable truck, at least by today’s standards, with a starting price of $36,895 including freight ($2,295). That means even with all-wheel drive, a $2,500 upgrade, the base XL trim stays on the good side of $40,000 before tax. However, in typical Ford fashion, to get heated seats means first stepping up to the XLT trim, then adding a $2,000 package, turning it into a truck that’s $41,395 — or $43,895 with all-wheel drive.

The range-topping trim in the Maverick Hybrid lineup is the Lariat, which comes with all-wheel drive, adaptive cruise control, and an eight-speaker stereo, among other items, for $48,895 before extras and taxes. That’s still not an entirely unreasonable sum, although it chips away at the value proposition at least a little — especially since that’s the only way to get the Maverick with adaptive cruise control.

Safety 8 / 10

Standard advanced safety features are limited to automatic emergency braking and automatic high-beam control; otherwise, lane departure warning and keeping assistance, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert and braking, and evasive steering assist are part of an $800 package that’s optional on both the XL and XLT trims. Meanwhile, an improved suite that includes adaptive cruise control and surround-view cameras is standard on the Lariat trim.

Features 7 / 10

It’s much the same when it comes to creature comforts, with very little in the way of standard amenities. Yes, there’s that big touchscreen, which has wireless smartphone compatibility courtesy of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto; plus there’s satellite radio and a Wi-Fi hotspot, both of which require subscriptions. There’s also a digital instrument display, but that’s about it beyond keyless entry — the ignition still requires a key to start — and a six-speaker stereo.

The XLT trim adds alloy wheels in place of the standard steel ones, as well as proximity door locks and push-button start, but features like a heated steering wheel and front seats require a $2,000 package, while other niceties like a power sliding rear window are locked away with the Lariat trim. That’s also how to get stuff like an eight-speaker stereo, up from six, and dual-zone automatic climate control, as well as adaptive cruise control.

The Verdict

There are vehicles that make more sense than others, and some that simply just make sense. The 2025 Ford Maverick Hybrid could easily be described either way, leveraging an existing — and excellent — powertrain and adding the practicality of all-wheel drive to its repertoire, and all while remaining exceptionally efficient. While it doesn’t have half-ton energy, it offers all kinds of utility to go with everyday usability, including the manoeuvrability of a small car or crossover.

While Ford’s decision to nickel-and-dime with stuff like heated seats is disappointing, the Maverick Hybrid remains one of the best vehicles on the market today. That it’s now available with the extra traction Canadians crave simply makes it better.