Here’s the deal with pickups: What’s most important is how well they meet their owners’ needs. This first glimpse at the all-new 2022 Ford Maverick has us thinking that while it definitely isn’t a traditional truck, it might be just right for those who aren’t traditional truck owners.
That includes the Maverick coming standard with a hybrid powertrain and front-wheel-drive, while a turbocharged engine with all-wheel will be an option. It’ll go on sale in the fall of 2021.
Full-size trucks are needlessly oversized, and even midsize models may be too much for some, and so the Maverick should fit nicely for urban dwellers who go farther afield on weekends. Rather than stuff wet or muddy gear into the carpeted compartment of an SUV, they can stow everything in the bed. Once they’re back from the great outdoors, the little Maverick will fit more conveniently into downtown parking spaces than even a midsize truck can.
It’s not the only SUV-based trucklet in this segment. For overall length, it’s smaller than the Honda Ridgeline that’s been around since 2006, but slightly larger than the all-new 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz, which launches this summer. The Maverick’s bed is also in the middle at 4.5 feet. The Ridgeline’s is 5-foot-3, while the Santa Cruz has four feet of truck bed.
The Maverick is based on the new Bronco Sport, which is based on the underpinnings of the Ford Escape. Trim levels will be XL, XLT, and Lariat, all with four doors and five seats. We don’t have full pricing yet, but it’ll start at $25,900.
The XL and XLT come with the hybrid powertrain. It uses a 2.5L four-cylinder engine that makes 162 horsepower on its own, and 191 horses when combined with the hybrid electric motor. Power goes to the front wheels through an automatic continuously variable transmission (CVT). The battery recharges through regenerative braking and doesn’t get plugged in. Ford estimates fuel consumption of 5.9 L/100 km in city driving, and expects you’ll get 800 kilometres on a tank of fuel.
A 2.0L four-cylinder engine with turbocharging – Ford calls it EcoBoost – is optional on the XL and XLT, and the only choice on the Lariat. It makes 250 horsepower and 277 lb-ft of torque, and comes exclusively with all-wheel-drive.
Towing capacity is 2,000 lbs on the hybrid, which Ford says is enough to pull a couple of personal watercraft; while the turbo-four with a towing package can haul up to 4,000 lbs. That’s less than the Ridgeline or Santa Cruz, both rated at 5,000 lbs. Payload on all Maverick models is 1,500 lbs.
The big deal is that truck bed, which Ford calls a “Flexbed.” That might be stretching it a bit, especially since both the Ridgeline and Santa Cruz have an underbed storage trunk, which the Maverick lacks. All three have conventional drop-down tailgates, but in addition to that, the Ridgeline’s can also be opened sideways like a door.
Instead, the Flexbed name refers to what you can do to customize it to your needs — and there’s even a QR code inside the bed for do-it-yourself suggestions. Standard features include pockets to hold 2×4 or 2×6 boards as bed dividers; eight bed tie-downs; tailgate cleats that double as bottle openers; and a “multi-position” tailgate. As with the Santa Cruz, this means you can reposition the tailgate cables so it opens partway, letting you slide in wider cargo, such as a sheet of plywood, so it rests on the tailgate and wheel housings.
The Maverick doesn’t come with bed lighting, but there’s a 12-volt wiring assembly so you can add your own. There are also threaded holes in the sides, to bolt in a channel for holding hooks or tie-downs, along with an optional 110-volt power outlet and bedside cubbies. Since not everyone is hands-on enough to make their own, there will be dealer accessories, such as a tonneau cover or bed extender.
The interior is a simple design, and while we’ll need to see it in person, in pictures it looks pretty cool, as well as easy to clean. Ford says there’s no fake leather or other faux materials; if something’s plastic, it doesn’t pretend to be anything else. High-use areas, such as door handles, vent adjustment, or storage bins are accented with bright colour to find them quickly. The doors contain tall pockets for water bottles, and can fit a tablet.
An available storage bin holds cargo under the rear seat, and when the cushions are up, a mountain bike can fit back there. The automaker has a proprietary system called FIT Slots, for Ford Integrated Tether, for fitting accessories such as extra cupholders or device holders. In keeping with that do-it-yourself ethos, the company will publish the geometry so owners can 3D-print their own items to put in the slots.
All trims include an 8-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and driver assist features such as emergency front braking and automatic high-beam headlights, along with such available technologies as blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, and lane-centering. Standard FordPass Connect with an embedded modem allows Wi-Fi for up to 10 devices, and through an app on your phone, you can remotely lock or unlock the doors, check the fuel gauge, start or stop the engine, or find the vehicle if you’ve forgotten where you parked.
Maverick owners are undoubtedly going to hear “that’s not a truck” from big-truck owners, but those folks will be missing the point. It’s meant to tackle urban affairs during the week, and light-duty get-away-from-it-all on the weekends, and not everybody needs an F-150 to get that done. We’ll know more when we get to drive it, but for now, the Maverick looks like it’s going be just what that target audience wants and needs.
First Look: 2022 Ford Maverick - Driving
Read More
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar