2025 Ford Maverick First Drive Review + Video

Of all the trucks on the market, Ford’s smallest might well be the most underrated.

OK, the Maverick just took home top honours as AutoTrader’s 2025 Truck of the Year, which shows how highly regarded it is around here. But then it isn’t fawned over like its full-size sibling, the F-150, while the midsize Ranger has received plaudits of its own since its recent redesign. (That’s especially true of the raucous Raptor version, which is capable of all kinds of hijinks.)

It’s all been enough to leave the brand’s pint-sized pickup in need of some updates to get excited about, which the 2025 Ford Maverick delivers. The subtly revised styling hasn’t done it any favours — at least not to these eyes — but when it comes to substance there’s more to like than before, starting with something that should’ve been part of the package all along.

AWD and Efficient

The Maverick’s biggest hangup since it hit the market has been its hybrid system — not that there’s anything inherently wrong with the fuel-saving powertrain itself. Instead, it’s been the inability to pair the efficient gas-electric setup with all-wheel drive that’s held it back, a shortcoming that’s finally been addressed as part of this mid-cycle refresh.

Output is unchanged from last year, with the combination of a 2.5L four-cylinder and accompanying electric motor making 191 net horsepower. It’s the same whether adding extra traction either optionally (XL and XLT trims) or standard (Lariat), with a mechanical linkage to the rear wheels compared to other hybrid systems that use a separate motor in the back.

In gas-electric guise, the 2025 Maverick is rated to burn just 6.2 L/100 km combined — the same as the Mazda CX-50 Hybrid that uses Toyota’s miserly technology. That number increases to 6.4 with all-wheel drive along for the ride, which is still substantially better than any gas-only version of the Maverick is capable of (9.4 to 10.2 L/100 km, depending on trim).

Better still, the all-wheel-drive Maverick XLT Hybrid tested here managed an indicated average of 40 mpg — the equivalent of just 5.9 L/100 km — along a circuitous route of city, highway, and winding hillside roads. And all the while it delivered an enjoyable drive experience that was decidedly unlike that of a typical hybrid.

Oh, sure, the automatic continuously-variable transmission (CVT) droned during the occasional hill climb with a heavy foot applied to the throttle pedal, but otherwise the entire package proved pleasant to the point of perfection. Even the steering is well-weighted and responsive, giving it the handling characteristics of a car to go with a supple ride that soaks up bumps with ease.

Hungry Like the Wolf

The other big addition to the lineup this year is the Maverick Lobo — a street truck-inspired trim that rides on some of the coolest factory wheels around. Given the performance vibe of the package, the Lobo isn’t available as a hybrid, and understandably so. Instead, it’s powered by a turbocharged 2.0L four-cylinder that’s offered across the rest of the lineup.

Output is the same as it is elsewhere, with 250 hp to go with a stout 277 lb-ft of torque. In reality, that’s more than enough, even with aspirations like these, although it’s a bit of a letdown that Ford didn’t do more to separate this sporty trim from its siblings with a bit more boost from the turbo or a special exhaust system.

Instead, changes include a seven-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters in place of the eight-speed unit used in the rest of the gas-powered lineup, plus some electronic trickery including a torque-vectoring rear axle and some unique drive modes. It also rides lower than the rest of the lineup, while the front brakes are borrowed from the Focus ST sold in Europe.

Ford also fitted it with the transmission oil cooler and larger radiator and fan that makes up the 4K Tow package offered on other Maverick trims. Instead of increasing how much the Maverick Lobo can pull — it’s capped at 907 kg (2,000 lb) due to the suspension setup — it’s all about keeping the powertrain cool when a bit of spirited driving beckons.

That’s also where its namesake Lobo drive mode comes in — a setting that’s supposed to be saved for closed course scenarios like, say, an autocross circuit. OK, that might not seem like the right environment for a pickup truck, but then the Maverick Lobo is a unique beast, leveraging that torque-vectoring rear differential to rotate like a sports car when pushed.

In fact, this tiny truck is more fun than it has any right to be, changing direction with quickness and precision, and even allowing the rear end to step out before being reeled back in and charging hard towards the next corner (or set of cones). Granted, it doesn’t feel tail-happy like a typical truck; instead, it delivers a legitimately — and unexpectedly — sporty drive experience.

Slight Styling Regression

Just about every unibody truck to ever hit the market has looked at least a little awkward, with the integrated body- and bedside panels in particular standing out as unnatural. Even so, the Maverick is a well-proportioned little pickup that’s mostly inoffensive. The issue this time is the front end, with its hooked headlights that contrast the simplicity of the rest of the truck.

Sure, this is entirely subjective, but the styling just isn’t as cohesive as it once was. On the bright side, the interior blends all the best parts from before with a few new touches here and there, including some bright blue accents that don’t exactly go with every exterior colour — blue against green should probably be banned — but they help enhance the character of the cabin.

Beyond the hints of blue, the interior has also been fitted with a 13.2-inch touchscreen that’s substantially bigger than the one it replaces. Otherwise, there’s the same parametric pattern in the plastic on the dash and doors as before to go with exposed hardware and a rotary gear selector on the centre console. The entire space is simple yet stylish — just as it should be.

Intriguing Asking Prices

The 2025 Ford Maverick XL starts at $34,500, while the XLT trim rings in at $37,000. That’s for the hybrid powertrain; the turbo motor adds $500 to the asking price of each, plus there’s a non-negotiable freight charge of $2,195 that applies to the entire lineup.

Then there’s the gas-only Maverick Lobo that’s $41,800, while the Lariat is $44,500 with the 2.0L turbo and $46,500 with the hybrid setup. Rounding out the lineup is the Tremor trim that’s $48,000. Like the Lobo, it’s only offered as a gas-powered pickup. Interestingly, that’s only $200 more than last year when the Tremor was an optional package offered with the Lariat trim.

Of course, there’s a whole host of packages that can — and, in some cases, need to — be added to each of them. Even so, it remains mostly reasonable across the lineup considering the equipment it comes with, although the Maverick Tremor strays a little too close to the Ranger XLT and its optional FX4 Off-Road package to make total fiscal sense.

There’s only one rival to the Maverick’s size on the market: the Hyundai Santa Cruz. It’s offered in the choice of three trims, including the off-road-inspired XRT, with standard all-wheel drive and a turbo motor under the hood. The cheapest Preferred trim rings in at $41,999, while the XRT is $47,499, and the top-of-the-line Ultimate is $50,499. (Freight adds $2,000 to each of them.)

Final Thoughts

As underrated as the 2025 Ford Maverick remains, it also might be the brand’s most versatile vehicle. That’s a bold claim, especially considering all the ways the F-150 can be had these days, but this little pickup delivers a diversity of its own that’s more distinct than ever thanks to this year’s changes.

While the car-like ride and handling across the lineup remains the same, as does the availability of hybrid power, it’s the ability to combine that efficient system with all-wheel drive that’s the most welcome addition. And then there’s the all-new Maverick Lobo — a street truck that’s capable of slicing up an autocross course with surprising precision, poise, and fun.

They’re yet more ways Ford’s designers and engineers have managed to maximize these diminutive dimensions, delivering a pickup that’s as uniquely positioned as it is capable. Even next to the Hyundai Santa Cruz, there’s nothing on the market quite like the Maverick. This year’s refresh only reinforces that special status amongst pickups of all shapes and sizes.