Back in 2022, the Ford Maverick was one of the hottest vehicles around because it was really good and inexpensive. 3 years later, it receives a mid-cycle update along with some new trims. So, is it still the hottest commodity to get your hands on?
Performance
Engine – The Ford Maverick continues to offer the same two powertrain choices as when the small truck first appeared on the market. You can have it with a 2.0L turbocharged gasoline-only 4-cylinder or a 2.5L 4-cylinder hybrid. Power remains the same for both engines. The turbo engine produces 250 hp & 277 lb-ft (186 kW & 375 Nm) while the hybrid produces 191 net hp & 155 lb-ft of torque (142 kW & 210 Nm).
The turbo engine provides punchy acceleration. It doesn’t take much effort from your right foot to motivate the truck up to highway speeds. This engine also produces some nice noises. You can hear the turbocharger sucking in air as the truck accelerates and then the sound of the blow-off valve releasing the pressurized excess air as you lift your foot off the throttle pedal.
The hybrid powertrain doesn’t provide the same level of excitement or acceleration. It doesn’t struggle to get up to speed but the acceleration is noticeably slower than the gasoline-only version. In city driving, the electric motors provide gasoline-free driving for brief periods. They’re also powerful enough to allow the Maverick hybrid to accelerate from a stop to about 60 km/h or so without using a drop of fuel. Of course, this is at a much slower rate than if the engine was running.
So while there are no changes to the powertrains for the 2025 model year, the availability of these engines is different than before. You can now option the base XL trim with either the hybrid powertrain or the 2.0L turbo for just $500 CAD more. Additionally, the hybrid powertrain is now available with either FWD or AWD. The turbo engine is paired with only an AWD system.
Fuel Economy – With the turbo engine, the 2025 Ford Maverick is rated for 11.2 L/100km (21 MPG) in a city and 8.7 L/100 km (27 MPG) on a highway. These numbers are for the new Tremor trim which are slightly higher than one of the more street focused trims with the 2.0L engine. I managed to average 10.1 L/100km (23.3 MPG) during my time with the Tremor.
The hybrid powertrain is rated for 5.6 L/100km (42 MPG) in a city and 6.7 L/100km (35.1 MPG) on a highway. If you’re gentle on the throttle, you can get better than advertised consumption numbers as I did at 5.5 L/100km (42.7 MPG).
Transmission – Like many other hybrid vehicles, the Ford Maverick hybrid is paired with an eCVT. This transmission doesn’t provide any sort of excitement and it just does its job at transferring the power to the wheels. Under hard acceleration, it keeps the engine’s rpms in the “sweet spot” until you lift your foot off the throttle pedal. It doesn’t try to replicate virtual gears.
The 8-speed automatic that is paired with the turbo engine provides a bit more excitement. Because it has actual gears, the engine produces more “natural” noises as the Maverick accelerates. The gear shifts are smooth and decently quick. You can take over control via the paddle shifters on the steering wheel but expect a slight delay from the time you pull on a paddle to the transmission shifting.
Braking – Both versions of the mini-truck have strong enough brakes for this type of vehicle. If anything, to some the brake pedal may feel a little bit overly assisted. But you shouldn’t be bobbing your head too much every time you touch the brake pedal.
In the hybrid, it uses regenerative braking to recoup some energy and slow down. There is no discernible difference in regenerative braking to using the physical brakes. When going down hills, the truck senses that and will automatically adjust the regen braking accordingly. You can also put the transmission to an “L” mode which will provide max regen braking when lifting your foot off the throttle pedal. It’s not one-pedal driving but it comes close to it.
Handling – The 2025 Ford Maverick drives more like a small crossover SUV than a truck on city streets. The steering has a bit of heft to it when turning but it’s by no means too heavy in feel. Body roll is about the same as in a crossover with it being a bit less evident in the Tremor trim due to its stiffer off-road focused suspension. The hybrid’s AWD system is not too sophisticated as it can only send power to both rear wheels when the front wheels start to slip.
In the Tremor trim, it has a twin-clutch rear differential and a 4WD lock to distribute the engine’s power in slippery off-road conditions. The rear clutches can fully lock both wheels to mimic a traditional locking differential. Further helping this truck with off-road driving is a 1-inch lift, off-road tuned suspension, all-terrain tires, and trail control which is like a slow speed cruise control but for off-roading.
In addition to the new Tremor trim, there’s also the Lobo trim. This is more of an on-road focused trim with a 1” lowered ride height, street tuned suspension, 19” aero style wheels, and torque vectoring via a twin clutch rear differential. Both the Tremor and Lobo trims are only available with the 2.0L turbocharged engine.
Capability – Both the hybrid and turbo powertrains of the Ford Maverick have a 1,500 lbs payload rating. They both also have the same 2,000 lbs towing capability but if the trucks are optioned with the 4K towing packing, the max tow rating increases to 4,000 lbs. The bed of the Maverick is 4.5 feet long and has LED bed lights, a 12-volt plug and can be equipped with a 110-volt plug as well.
Comfort
Ride Comfort – The ride of the Ford Maverick is a tad on the firmer side. The FWD variants of the Maverick hybrid have torsion beam rear suspension which is designed to be cost effective but not so good when it comes to performance or comfort. The AWD variants of the Maverick have multilink rear suspension which not only improves performance but also a little bit of the ride comfort. What was easily noticeable in driving these two demo trucks back-to-back was that the ride of the Tremor was a bit more jittery on roads than that of the hybrid.
Interior Space – In the front seats, the Ford Maverick is just as spacious as other crossover SUVs. Legroom and headroom is plentiful even for tall adults like myself at 6’4”. The back seats are tighter not only compared to the front seats but also compared to some other smaller trucks like the Hyundai Santa Cruz. For someone like me, I don’t want to be stuck back there for very long. The rear bench lifts up to reveal a little bit of storage but it’s not a split bench.
Noise, Vibration, & Harshness – The cabin of the Maverick Hybrid is a pretty quiet place. While cruising on a highway, the engine is quiet, wind noise is minimal and road noise from the tires is acceptable. When accelerating from a stop in a city, the engine is more noticeable. In the Tremor, there is a lot more road noise due to the all-terrain tires.
Odds and Ends
Pricing – One of the biggest reasons why the Ford Maverick was such a hit when it was released was because of its price. It had a starting price of just $26,900 CAD ($19,995 USD), and that was for the hybrid powertrain. The gasoline engine was more expensive.
Things are very different in 2025. The XL Hybrid starts at $34,600 CAD ($28,145 USD) with the turbo engine costing an additional $500 CAD ($125 USD). This Lariat Hybrid demo will set you back $46,800 CAD ($38,440 USD) and the Tremor starts at $48,100 CAD ($40,995 USD).
Gadgets – The base XL trim of the Maverick doesn’t get a whole lot in terms of gadgets & gizmos. It’s basically a fleet type of vehicle with a new, larger 13.2-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay & Android Auto integration, Bluetooth, single zone manual air conditioning, manual 6-way driver’s seat and 4-way passenger seat, Wi-Fi hotspot, power locks and power windows, a 6-speaker audio system, and LED headlights. Moving up to the Lariat trim or the higher Tremor will add features such as heated front seats along with a heated steering wheel, power sunroof, dual-zone automatic climate control, 8-way power driver’s seat, wireless phone charging pad, push button start and keyless entry, and surround view cameras.
Interior Design – In addition to the new trims and powertrain shuffle between the different trims, the interior of the 2025 Maverick sees the biggest changes. Gone is the small infotainment touchscreen and is replaced by a standard 13.2-inch screen. Sadly, with the addition of this larger screen, Ford has taken away all of the physical buttons and knobs that the Maverick once had. Climate controls, radio controls, and heated seat controls are all now integrated into the touchscreen. Yes, this new Maverick retains a volume knob but the “buttons” that are next to it are capacitive touch and not individual buttons like the pre-facelift version. I find the integration of commonly used functions into the touchscreen to be more distracting while driving and I wish that Ford didn’t take away the physical controls. Another change, to reduce costs for the brand and not necessarily for the consumer, is the 8-inch screen for the driver instrumentation. The pre-facelift version had analog dials which, in my opinion, looked better than the simple screen.
Otherwise, the rest of the interior of the 2025 Maverick remains the same. There are little spaces for small item storage throughout the cabin for change, parking tickets, cell phones, etc. The materials are Ok but some of the plastics do feel cheap. The Tremor trim adds orange highlights and the “half” door handles remain on all trims.
Exterior Design – The exterior styling has also received a minor twerk for this 2025 model year. It has sharper looking daytime running lights, new LED headlights, and an eye-catching grille. The Tremor and Lobo trims further differentiate themselves with unique grilles and trim specific wheels.
Safety – The 2025 Ford Maverick Hybrid comes standard with 7 airbags, auto high beam, automatic emergency braking, and a backup camera. Opt for the Ford Co-Pilot 360 package and it’ll add on blind spot sensors with rear cross traffic alert, lane departure warning with lane keep, evasive steering assist, and post collision braking.
Warranty – The 2025 Ford Maverick Hybrid comes with a 3 year / 60,000 km basic new vehicle warranty and a 5 year / 100,000 KM powertrain warranty. However, the hybrid components are covered by an 8 year / 160,000 km warranty. For more information on Canadian warranty, click here. For USA warranty, click here.
Conclusion – In the end, the updated 2025 Ford Maverick is still a great compact truck. However, due to its significantly higher price tag, it’s no longer the great value that it once was.
Thank you to Ford Canada for providing the 2025 Maverick. www.Ford.ca
2025 Ford Maverick Hybrid Gallery
2025 Ford Maverick Tremor Gallery
