Ford Will Make The Maverick Hybrid Truck Even Better

If you are in the market for a 2022 Ford Maverick truck, you must currently choose between outstanding fuel economy or superior off-road ability. That's because the Maverick Hybrid truck is only available with front-wheel-drive. If you desire all-wheel-drive, you must opt for the more powerful (but less efficient) 2.0-liter EcoBoost gas version. As seen elsewhere in Ford's lineup, customers are increasingly demanding AWD in their trucks and SUVs. Ford isn't the type of company to ignore consumer preferences, which is why this option will likely come to the Maverick Hybrid truck very soon.

Speaking with Ford at the Maverick truck launch, the company's engineers mentioned they were experimenting with a few methods to add AWD to the hybrid drivetrain. One option was to use the same setup as the Escape Hybrid with a small electric motor driving the rear wheels. Another was to use a plug-in hybrid drivetrain, which appears to be the path Ford will go with.

An intrepid CarBuzz reader spotted a camouflaged Maverick truck out testing with odd equipment mounted on the door. The device said "PHE-V" and "2.1L" on it, hinting that it will use a plug-in hybrid system with a 2.1-liter engine. That second part is interesting because the Escape PHEV currently uses a 2.5-liter engine like the Maverick Hybrid. This could hint that all Maverick Hybrids, and likely the Escape too, will get a smaller engine in a future model year update. Though it won't look like our all-electric Maverick truck rendering pictured above, the rumored PHEV could get some subtle styling tweaks.

The current Maverick Hybrid truck uses a tiny 1.1 kWh battery, while the Escape PHEV gets a much larger 14.4-kWh pack that enables a 39-mile electric-only driving range. Thanks to the larger battery, the Escape PHEV produces more power (221 horsepower) compared to the standard hybrid (200 hp). By comparison, the Maverick Hybrid makes a bit less at 191 hp. We'd love to see a Maverick Hybrid sporting over 220 hp, putting it closer to the EcoBoost's 250-hp output. With added AWD and a nice all-electric range, it could be a compelling option for buyers.