SUVs and trucks will make up more than three-quarters of new cars sold in the United States this year, and one in four new cars will be pickups, more than 2.5 million of them if sales continue this month. Trucks have steadily grown in size and price for decades, but this year is seeing the revival of a long-dormant segment: pickup trucks. Ford Maverick 2022 wins Forbes wheelsCar of the Year by blending crossover-like dynamics and economy with pickup style and features. Best of all, its low price makes it a viable alternative to vehicles in many other sectors.
While electricity is the most important car Technique For 2020 and this year also seeing the arrival of the first all-electric pickup, the Rivian R1T, the Maverick plays to a much wider segment of buyers. However, she is not alone.
Late 2021 also saw the arrival of the Hyundai Santa Cruz, a machine of similar proportions with similar goals. Each is less than 200 inches long with four doors, two rows of seats and cargo beds at least 48 inches long and 48 inches wide or more.
Either way, the Maverick, at 199.7 inches, and the Santa Cruz, at 195.7 inches, are closer to crossovers than traditional pickups. In the same vein as the Honda Ridgeline, they are single-hull machines that work like crossovers. This may be anathema to some traditional truck enthusiasts, but consumers have expressed an undeniable preference for this type of vehicle.
Maverick and Santa Cruz were top-voteers in this year’s Forbes Wheels Pickup category, covering all sizes of pickup trucks, combustion engine and electric, in part because they enjoyed broad consumer appeal.
Unlike conventional trucks, it’s easy to see a potential shopping comparison between the Maverick and more typical entry-level cars like the Honda Civic. The Maverick boasts an impressive 42 mpg base-hybrid rating and a starting price of $19,955-$21,490, including the $1,495 shipping fee. That’s about $1,500 less than the base Civic model. An almost entirely selected Ford Maverick costs $37,055 to buy or a 39-month lease of about $400 with a 10% discount. This is where the larger Honda Ridgeline model begins.
Maverick: A far cry from classic compact pickups
Compact pickups aren’t a new idea, but automakers grew out of them in the Millennium. Car boom fans will remember, perhaps at length, that pickup trucks were very popular in the 1970s and 1980s. At the time, there were two basic types: miniature versions of traditional trucks, such as the Chevrolet Love, Nissan Hardbody, Plymouth Arrow, and Toyota Pickup; And more vehicle-based trucks like Subaru BRAT, Dodge Rampage and Volkswagen Rabbit truck.
The new breed of compact pickups is philosophically closer to the latter, but pickup drivers of the 80s will not recognize it from the inside. Those old trucks were intended for work and doubled as a low-cost passenger vehicle, not to pamper its occupants.
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Instead of an exposed cabin with painted metal on the doors and just the slightest bit of sound insulation, the Maverick looks like a modern SUV inside. Both the sedan and Santa Cruz rely on familiar crossovers, sharing their platforms with the Bronco Sport and Hyundai Tucson, respectively. It’s worth noting that old compact pickups eventually grew bigger and bigger, and evolved into today’s midsize offerings, but the Maverick clearly feels more civilized than the dark frontiers of Toyota’s current Tacoma vehicles.
The target audience for these trucks isn’t just people who want a smaller Silverado or F-150, although few people would mind a Mavericks truck. For 2022, the compact demographic is for people who drive compact sedans or small crossovers but want something different — a different pickup bed for sure — and also comfortable accommodations for four, maybe five passengers.
If they are outdoor enthusiasts, they like the ease of putting mountain bikes in bed, not over the roof, and throwing muddy tents and climbing gear in bed instead of in the cargo bay of their SUV. If they’re concerned about cargo safety, a fold-and-lock metal luggage compartment lid keeps cargo safe in rest areas or leave it overnight on the town if everyone gets home too tired to offload it on a Sunday night.
Enough back legroom to keep 4 adults happy
Of all the interior dimensions that make the car comfortable for four average-sized adults, it’s legroom in the back seat. Some full-size pickups even skimp on rear legroom to keep the length from becoming too unwieldy for driver comfort. The Maverick has 35.9 inches of legroom with the Hybrid 36.9 with the Non-Hybrid. This is enough for most adults not to feel cramped even if they want to sit six feet in front of them.
By comparison, the unsold Toyota RAV4, which ranked fourth in sales in the first three quarters of 2021, has 39.6 inches of legroom. Midsize sedans like the Toyota Camry, and even some compact cars like the Civic, offer 37 to 38 inches in the rear
Maverick legroom makes it suitable for four adults. To put three, not two, in the rear, the critical dimension turns into rear thigh space and there it is hard for any small vehicle to be comfortable on long trips, including the 54.1-inch Maverick. Triple seats in the on-board bus class are 17-18 inches of seat width per person, about what the Maverick has to offer.
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Why do we love maverick
“The Maverick has a thoughtful design such as bed slits for DIY accessories and armrest slots to support larger water bottles in the doors. It’s basic but very solid. It’s also affordable and efficient with a standard hybrid powertrain” Forbes wheels Contributor Sam Abuelsamid. “The only real drawback is the lack of cruise control on [entry trim] XL which is Ford’s way of saying you should only spend an extra $2280 for [middle trim] XLT. ”
Forbes wheels Employee Andrew Wendler says, “Like… the Santa Cruz, the Ford Maverick compact four-door pickup truck leans strongly toward buyers in the desirable demographic that automakers refer to as the ‘outdoor lifestyle.'” The ground up to accommodate multiple racks and support systems, both commercially available and DIY, to make it easier to transport and use bikes, tents, generators, and all kinds of crunchy fixtures.”
To keep the base price under $20,000, Ford introduced a color LCD center screen, telematics, 4G connectivity, Bluetooth, USB, standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto jacks. This assumes that every owner will have a smartphone with portability, and that’s a safe bet. Like the bottom bezels of the new Honda Civic, automakers are finding that many users love and prefer their phone’s interfaces. If they save some money in the process, so much the better.
Despite the lower cost of getting into the truck, Ford still outfits it with standard Front Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) and makes many other driver-assistance features optional. Even in 2022, not every pickup or cheap car makes the AEB standard.
Buyers say they want to checkout
Almost every pickup truck designer has an interest in towing boats, campers or trailers. According to the company’s product manager, when Ford introduced the current generation of the Ford Explorer midsize SUV in 2020, the majority of focus group participants wanted a vehicle that could tow heavy payloads. When asked how many participants have currently towing trailers, only a few have raised their hands. In other words, in the world of SUVs and vans, many people desire the ability to tow even if only a few actually do.
however Possibility In mind, all Mavericks, even front-wheel drive models, can tow 2,000 pounds. The 4,000-pound weight can be towed with the turbocharged (EcoBoost) engine and all-wheel drive ($3,305) and the 4K trailer towing package ($745). Ford says that’s enough to tow most 21-foot powerboats. Total payload, cargo and passenger capacity is 1,500 lbs and can all be in bed except for the driver’s weight.
We also like Maverick for its many small, thoughtful details. For example: one of the hooks for the tailgate is also… a bottle opener. Because not every bottle has a twisty top cap.
Now: Pickup trucks in three sizes
With the arrival of the Maverick (and Santa Cruz), there are now three sizes of pickup trucks: compact under 200 inches, mid-size pickups around 210 inches and full-size and heavy-duty pickups from 210 to 250 inches, depending on cab size and cargo bed length.
The mid-size segment includes Ford’s own Ranger, which was reintroduced to the US market in 2019, the revitalized Nissan Frontier and the best-selling Toyota Tacoma. Most mid-size pickups remain on the chassis, which increases weight, stiffness, towing capacity and fuel consumption. Aside from the Honda Ridgeline, none of them offer anything like a crossover-like driving experience, so they’re unlikely to appeal to car buyers.
There may be more small pickups, like the overseas-based Volkswagen Tarok and Ram 700, but for the “chicken tax,” a relic of an old presidential order in 1964. It charges a 25% tariff on light trucks. imported into the US because Europe once imposed high tariffs on cheaper US chicken imports. After ten presidents, the tax still applies.
So nearly every pickup truck sold in the US is made in the US – or Canada or Mexico – because the current rule excludes vehicles made in the US. north USA. The Ford Maverick is built in Hermosillo, Mexico along with the Bronco Sport. The Santa Cruz comes from Hyundai’s sprawling plant in Montgomery, Alabama.
We expect the defector’s Car of the Year to find willing buyers and lead other automakers, perhaps General Motors, Toyota and Nissan, to consider entrances to this emerging market. More options better for everyone.