2025 Ford Maverick First Look

The first thing you notice about the 2025 Ford Maverick is that it now has a much cleaner face. Ford designers took away some of the busyness from the first model and tidied up the nose with dark appearance LED headlamps, redesigned grilles for each trim level, and a reshaped front bumper. Higher trim levels add signature LED lighting and new wheels round out the changes, including 19-inch rollers on the top-line Lariat. A new Black Package gets a unique black grille, black roof, black Ford badges, and also receives 19-inch gloss black wheels.

INTERIOR

Inside, the Maverick uses durable materials and unique color schemes, to give the little truck a fun and practical vibe that belies the comparatively affordable price point. The 3D-printing friendly Ford Integrated Tether System (FITS) and plenty of storage gives Maverick owners flexibility.

Maverick now features SYNC 4 and comes standard with the largest standard touchscreen in its class, a 13.2-inch display, up from the previous 8-inch unit. The Maverick also receives a fully digital 8-inch instrument cluster, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Customers driving in tight spaces will now appreciate the 360-Degree Camera, which provides a split-view display of what’s directly in front of or behind the vehicle, along with cross-traffic views. Other notable standard amenities include Co-Pilot 360 Assist 2.0 (Evasive Steering Assist, Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control, Intersection Assist, and Connected Navigation).

DRIVETRAIN

After listening to customers, Ford found that the most requested change was making the hybrid model available with AWD. Ford’s hybrid 2.5L four-cylinder is mated to a CVT transmission and puts out 191hp and 155 lb-ft of torque, while the 2.0L EcoBoost four puts out 238hp and 277 lb-ft of torque and is paired with an 8-speed automatic.

Highway fuel economy of the Hybrid FWD is estimated at 42 mpg, while the all-wheel drive setup drops to a still miserly 40 mpg. The hybrid models and their 13.8-gallon fuel capacity will deliver more than 500 miles of highway range. With a slightly larger 16.5-gallon fuel tank, 2.0L EcoBoost-equipped all-wheel drive trucks should deliver around 350-400 miles of range, depending on options.

TOWING

Ford’s research also indicated that nearly half of Maverick owners tow, so as a nod to capability, both drivetrains are available with a tow package that ups max towing to an impressive 4,000-pounds. The enhanced towing capability doesn’t stop there as Ford included useful towing technology from the company’s bigger Ranger and F-Series trucks.

The Maverick’s trailer towing toolbox adds available Pro Trailer Hitch Assist, which uses the rear camera and corner radars to alight the truck with the hitch, while controlling the truck’s speed, steering, and braking and stopping it at just the right position to couple the trailer. Ford also made available Pro Trailer Backup assist, which makes backing up with a trailer as easy as twisting a knob on the dash and working the pedals, letting the truck manage the steering inputs.

HAULING

Maximum payload capacity checks in at a respectable 1,500 pounds and the Maverick’s FLEXBED helps customers better organize their payload with DIY solutions. Pockets molded into the bed walls allow cut pieces of 2x4 to partition the bed to help prevent cargo and gear from sliding around and can be used to create a second load tier, which is great for hauling heavier items on the bottom and bulky items on top. The bed rail system, and the bed in general, is designed to be compatible with a myriad of aftermarket solutions.

The multi-position tailgate, which can be positioned flat to haul long cargo, can also be secured at the mid-way point, which is helpful for hauling bikes, giving the rear wheel a place to rest. With the tailgate down, the 4.5-foot bed is large enough to haul 18 half-inch sheets of 4x8-foot plywood.  

Accessories can easily be powered with the 110V/400W outlet in the bed (or the one in the cab) and owners are encouraged to expand their use of electrical features by adding outlets or lighting with the Maverick’s pre-wired 12-volt connections.

TREMOR

Now its own trim level, instead of an optional overlay like the available FX4 off-road package, the Tremor which is offered in ICE only, comes loaded with Lariat-like content, and builds off the FX4 off-road package which includes 17-inch wheels, all-terrain tires, exposed front tow hooks, Hill Descent Control, Off-road screen in cluster, upgraded suspension with monotube shocks, rotary gear shift selector with drive modes (Normal, Mud/Rut, Slippery, Sand, and Tow/Haul), engine skid plate, high-capacity radiator with an upgraded cooling fan, and conventional spare tire.

To this the Tremor adds a higher-clearance front fascia, twin-clutch rear drive unit, 4WD Lock, Trail Control, One-Pedal Drive, paddle shifters, a new Goodyear Territory All-Terrain tire, and the 360-degree camera. It also gets some unique interior and exterior treatments with the signature Tremor-orange accents.

Thanks to the added ride-height and resculpted front bumper, the Tremor’s ground clearance comes in at 9.1 inches, compared to the non-Tremor EcoBoost’s 8.3 inches. Approach angle, breakover angle, and departure angle come in at 30.8-, 20.1-, and 21.6-degrees, respectively, compared to 21.1-, 18.2-, and 21.1-degrees of lesser Mavericks.

The downside to selecting the FX4 package or the Tremor trim is that Ford doesn’t allow it to be upgraded to the max towing package, so towing is just 2,000 pounds and payload is 1,140.

STYLING

Ford’s mic drop moment during the Maverick’s reveal was the introduction of the Ford Maverick Lobo. This sport truck version of the Maverick is lowered about .5 in the front and 1.1-in in the rear, has bigger Ford Focus ST brakes and wheels and tires size, uses the twin-clutch Rear Drive Unit from a Bronco Sport with torque vectoring, and when paired with the new “LOBO” drive mode, will allow the sportiest Maverick to drift and do donuts, easily turning perfectly good tires to smoke.

The turbocharged 2.0L EcoBoost is the same as other Mavericks, but the 8-speed automatic becomes a 7-speed to ensure a better experience when shifting via the paddles in manual mode. The faster steering rack is courtesy of the European Kuga and additional thermal management is handled by the max tow package’s radiator and fan, as well as the hybrid’s transmission oil cooler.

Cool, yet subtle, interior materials are inspired by athletic shoes and urban art. It looks right and looks like a blast to drive, at least on paper. We can’t wait to get behind the wheel in coming months. Ford’s take on street trucks with the Maverick is a good one and the standard rally-inspired turbofan wheels are just icing on the cake.

CONCLUSION

Ford has taken its popular Maverick, and thanks to owner input, has fine-tuned it in all of the right ways. While the price is up a bit, so is standard equipment and features. Even with a new starting price of $27,890 (including destination charge), it is still the most affordable pickup in America, and the performance-oriented Lobo, which sits atop the Maverick hierarchy, seems like a relative bargain at $36,595, with destination. The best part is that Ford welcomes customization and aftermarket accessorizing for the efficient small pickup that still has the chops to do truck things.