2022 Ford Maverick Will Reportedly Come With a Sub-$20K Base Price
New Ford Maverick will bring back the affordable compact pickup in a big way when it debuts in the coming months.
We’ve known for some time now that the forthcoming 2022 Ford Maverick (the compact pickup, not the compact car from the 1970s) was going to be Ford’s new entry-level pickup, slotting beneath the Ranger. That means it’ll also be the most affordable truck in The Blue Oval’s lineup. What we don’t yet know is how affordable it will be, but a new report from Ford Authority indicates that the base Ford Maverick will start out at least than $20,000.
If true, this is huge news for a number of buyers who have long clamored for the return of an affordable pickup. Since the last-gen Ford Ranger went away after the 2011 model year, the automaker hasn’t bothered to sell a real, affordable pickup to the masses. Currently, the cheapest Ranger sells for $24,820, but that’s a bare-bones SuperCab model with “steelie wheels,” not something you commonly see on dealer lots.
Most of the Rangers you’ll see for sale are pricier, feature-laden models with $30k-$40k price tags, in fact. What makes the Ford Maverick a particularly interesting offering is that it will only be sold in SuperCrew configuration, which makes it an even better value. In fact, the cheapest SuperCrew Ranger available will set you back at least $27,220.
There are a couple of caveats here worth mentioning, of course. The Maverick is a front-wheel-drive vehicle in base form, with available all-wheel-drive – a fact that truck purists are likely to scoff at. But in all fairness, it shares its unibody C2 platform with the Bronco Sport, which has more than proven its toughness after taking home a win at last year’s Rebelle Rally off-road race. The Maverick will also reportedly be offered in an off-road-focused Timberline trim as well.
As far as engine options go, the Maverick will likely offer the same powerplants available in the rugged crossover as well. That includes Ford’s 1.5-liter EcoBoost inline-three-cylinder, 2.0-liter EcoBoost inline-four, or possibly a naturally-aspired four-cylinder of some kind, paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission.
While it isn’t quite the traditional compact pickup that fans of the old Ranger might prefer, it’s still nice to see that Ford is serious about selling an affordable truck to the masses once again. There are a lot of folks out there that simply need the utility of a pickup but don’t have a ton of cash to buy one, and trucks these days just keep getting more and more expensive. Hopefully, the Maverick will be the catalyst for change in that regard.
Photos: Ford Truck Enthusiasts, Ford Maverick Truck Club, Ford Motor Company
Join the Ford Truck Enthusiasts forums now!
