Ford freshens the 2025 Maverick with features customers have clamoured for

DETROIT — Ford Motor Co. is freshening the 2025 Maverick with a feature customers have clamoured for since the compact pickup's introduction three years ago: an all-wheel-drive option on the hybrid powertrain.

The automaker is hoping the addition — plus a larger center screen, new tech and updated design cues — will help the small truck maintain sales momentum, especially among first-time Ford buyers. Maverick U.S. sales are up 81 per cent through the first half of the year, and Ford has scrambled to boost output as hybrids play an increasingly important role in its portfolio. In Canada, the automaker only reports sales figures annually.

The 2025 model will start at $36,695 including shipping in Canada. Order banks will open Aug. 1. Deliveries are expected this year, Ford said.

"Maverick was a whitespace product, so when we set it up we had a good idea what customers wanted ... but we didn't have any feedback at that time, but now we do," James Gilpin, Maverick brand manager, told reporters at an event here previewing the vehicle. "We took that feedback to help make key decisions on the new product."

An awd option with the standard 2.5-litre hybrid engine was the No. 1 request from customers. Ford is offering it on the XL, XLT, and Lariat trims.

The awd hybrid configuration is set to generate 191 hp and 155 pound-feet of torque, Ford said. If customers add a trailer tow package, the truck will be able to haul up to 4,000 pounds.

The awd hybrid version is expected to get 40 mpg in the city, officials said. The front-wheel-drive hybrid configuration, which is standard, is expected to get up to 42 mpg in the city. Ford Canada says the truck will get 5.6 litres per 100 kilometres in the city and more than 800 kilometres of range with the standard hybrid front-wheel drive model. The hybrid all-wheel drive model is poised to go 5.9 litres per 100 kilometres in the city.

The Maverick retains an optional 2.0-litre EcoBoost engine that is expected to generate 238 hp and 227 pound-feet of torque.

Also new for the 2025 model year: Ford is turning the Tremor off-road package into a trim level.

The interior was updated with a new, standard 13.2-inch touchscreen that is five inches larger than what's on the outgoing model. The truck comes with the Sync 4 infotainment system that includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility.

Ford said trailer hitch assist and trailer backup assist are standard on the Lariat and Tremor trims. The interior also includes new accent colors and materials, depending on trim.

The exterior features a new grille, bumper and headlamps. Ford will offer a new Black Package with a unique grille, black roof, black badges and 19-inch gloss black wheels.

The Maverick will continue to offer a 4.5-foot "flexbed," which Ford officials have labeled a do-it-yourself canvas.

The bed has slots stamped into the side that can fit 2x4 lumber, giving owners the option to divide the storage areas or create DIY bike racks. Ford said the bed, coupled with the multiposition tailgate, is large enough to fit up to 18 full sheets of half-inch 4-by-8-foot plywood.

There's also an available 110-volt outlet.

Ford has been pleased with the Maverick's performance since it debuted in late 2021. Sixty percent of buyers are trading in vehicles from other brands and segments, including small SUVs and compact sedans. The popularity of a small, affordable pickup, which competes with the Hyundai Santa Cruz, has prompted rivals such as Toyota to consider adding their own.

"It defied expectations, even our own," Gilpin said.