- Thread starter
- #1
Free Press Truck of the Year: Ford Maverick breathes new life into small pickups
https://www.freep.com/story/money/c...reathe-new-life-into-small-trucks/9031747002/
January 2, 2022
No automaker but Ford could have achieved the outsize success the little Maverick compact pickup has enjoyed from the first moment the public saw it.
Since the 1970s, automakers have tried to convince Americans to buy a truly compact pickup based on the same basic engineering as a compact car.
They failed. Miserably. The VW Rabbit pickup failed. The Chevy El Camino failed. The Dodge Rampage failed. The Subaru Brat failed. The Subaru Baja failed. Even Ford’s own Ranchero failed. Successive generations of American buyers snickered at the vehicles as too small and lacking the capability to be a “real” truck.
A pickup is nothing without authenticity. Only Ford, maker of the perennially best-selling F-150, had the credibility to bestow it, and even that seemed like a long shot before the Maverick’s persuasive design, creative features and sub-$20,000 base price wowed buyers.
The Maverick is Ford’s entry-level vehicle, but it escaped the sense of “this was the best you could do?” that haunted small cars like the Fiesta and Focus.
The Maverick looks and feels like a well-made tool. It was designed for clever personalization and DIY features that won’t bankrupt a first-time buyer. The cabin carries five in a pinch, and is positively roomy for two people and their gear.
Maverick production is sold out for months.
https://www.freep.com/story/money/c...reathe-new-life-into-small-trucks/9031747002/
January 2, 2022
No automaker but Ford could have achieved the outsize success the little Maverick compact pickup has enjoyed from the first moment the public saw it.
Since the 1970s, automakers have tried to convince Americans to buy a truly compact pickup based on the same basic engineering as a compact car.
They failed. Miserably. The VW Rabbit pickup failed. The Chevy El Camino failed. The Dodge Rampage failed. The Subaru Brat failed. The Subaru Baja failed. Even Ford’s own Ranchero failed. Successive generations of American buyers snickered at the vehicles as too small and lacking the capability to be a “real” truck.
A pickup is nothing without authenticity. Only Ford, maker of the perennially best-selling F-150, had the credibility to bestow it, and even that seemed like a long shot before the Maverick’s persuasive design, creative features and sub-$20,000 base price wowed buyers.
The Maverick is Ford’s entry-level vehicle, but it escaped the sense of “this was the best you could do?” that haunted small cars like the Fiesta and Focus.
The Maverick looks and feels like a well-made tool. It was designed for clever personalization and DIY features that won’t bankrupt a first-time buyer. The cabin carries five in a pinch, and is positively roomy for two people and their gear.
Maverick production is sold out for months.
Sponsored