Nobody’s driven the 2022 Ford Maverick yet, so there’s no telling if it’ll meet the hype. If Ford can make good on its promises it’ll probably be a hit. That’s how it seems, anyway, judging by all the people (us included) intrigued at the prospect of a new pickup under $20K with a hybrid powertrain that’ll supposedly return 40 MPG in the city.
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That base model received most of the attention upon the Maverick’s reveal for good reason. But of course, it isn’t the only version on offer — there will also be an Ecoboost 2-liter turbo that’ll produce 250 horsepower, rather than the 191 HP of the hybrid. It’s guaranteed to get poorer fuel economy, but it’ll also be the only way to get four-wheel drive in the truck, as the hybrid is front-wheel drive only.
Considering all of that you’d imagine a good chunk of buyers will be flocking to dealers to snap up the cheaper, more economical hybrid model. However, a forum post over at Maverick Truck Club made by one dealership — Granger Ford in Iowa — suggests hybrid Mavericks will only be shipped when ordered by customers and not stocked on lots. Ford is also reportedly moving toward a 60/40 split in terms of production priority, favoring the Ecoboost:
The Hybrid engine is limited to 35% of August/September/October production for the Maverick
The long-term production of 2022 model year will be a 40% mix of Hybrid
Currently 100% of hybrid engines will go to fulfill customer orders.
Taken one way, this could mean that Ford is expecting to sell more Ecoboosts. Taken another way, it could also mean that Ford’s strategy here has been to woo people into the dealer with the idea of a $20K, 40 MPG truck, then send them on their way with an Ecoboost Maverick reaching to the high-$20K range.
Both could be true. Either way, it gels with Ford CEO Jim Farley’s recent comments during an earnings call, when he said the Blue Oval is hoping to transition to a greater volume of made-to-order sales going forward. Maybe Ford has reason to believe the kinds of buyers to whom the hybrid appeals are going to be discerning about other options too, rather than taking what’s sitting on the lot.
We have reached out to Ford to confirm and comment on the information relayed in the post, and will update this story with whatever we hear.
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