My Stupid Theory - Maverick price hikes make way for new cheap truck

[Scott Asheville]

Don't start laughing yet. Hear me out. Then it's OK to laugh. Automakers love to move vehicles upscale. They get bigger, more content, more expensive. We saw this with the Honda Civic and Accord for example. We definitely saw it with Ford trucks - the Maverick is the size of a Ford F150 from my childhood.

Jim Farley has said he's "betting the company" on the new cheap BEVs from the Ford Skunk Works. I wager he's exaggerating, but still he promises a small, inexpensive BEV in 2026 and a small, inexpensive truck right after. So my theory is that Ford is repositioning the Maverick to make room for the new small truck.

In two years the next generation Maverick will replace the Ranger. The Ranger will replace the F150. And the F150 have grown so big it will replace semi trucks. And an all-new entry-level BEV truck will become the new Ford entry-level trucklet.

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[Lobstah]

I haven't seen the Maverick getting any bigger, and frankly, I don't see Ford introducing any "truck" smaller than the Maverick.
'Price increase is because they've established a very strong foothold in this space, and they can.
It's standard marketing & sales plan.

 

[Benilla]

Counting my blessings I got in on the 2022 hybrid.. the same exact build on a 2025 is $11,000CAD more + higher interest rates.

 

[todd92]

The XL was mispriced at launch. The Lariat price hasn't changed. Ford isn't moving the Maverick up to make room for the miracle EV yet to be launched.

 

[rad32]

I think 2 years is too soon but I could see something like that happening. I think they will eventually push the Maverick to the same size and price as the Ranger in the next 1-2 generations. The Maverick will be the fuel efficient worktruck/ commuter, and the Ranger will be more the offroad oriented niche vehicle. Then maybe as sales fall, they will slot a new small truck into the lineup. The F150 will always stay the full size truck. There's too much brand loyalty. You are right about accords and civics. The new civic generation is as big as the accord I learned to drove on 20 years ago.

 

[Gray Goose]

Preview of 2050 Maverick

 

[colinl]

The XL was mispriced at launch. The Lariat price hasn't changed. Ford isn't moving the Maverick up to make room for the miracle EV yet to be launched.

Lariat ecoboost hasn't changed much. Lariat hybrid changed a lot.

But otherwise, agreed. EV plans are slowed way down due to soft demand and high cost.

I don't know how you get a truck even smaller than a Maverick that costs materially less, and what market that appeals to. The United States is nowhere near mainstream support Kei cars & trucks. The last thing near that size was the smartcar which failed spectacularly for several reasons, a horrific transmission among them.

 

[Ozarkbeard]

Another smaller truck, smaller than the somewhat-smallish Maverick may happen eventually.

Back when the Maverick was still vaporware and mostly assumed it would be another ICE vehicle, I remember reading an article saying that, long-term, Ford eventually planned to sell two new model trucks in the US, both somewhat smaller than the current bloated Ranger. The article was a from a reputable automotive site, not a clickbait AI-produced crap article, so common now.

It's sad that people in the US have been so brainwashed by seeing gigantic trucks like F-150, Silverado, Ram, Tundra etc. everywhere. They now think the Maverick is a small truck, but it is not. It is smaller than any other trucks for sale in the US, but not small.

 

[brettpep]

Dealers were capturing the difference between list price and consumer’s willingness to pay more. Price increases help Ford capture that margin.

 

[tysonbisme]

Anything price-wise above about $30,000 out the door on a XLT is asinine. The people spending $40+ are nuts, that is f150 / silverado / sierra / ram 1500 money.

The whole point of the maverick was to be an inexpensive, small, economical truck. The new lobo trim pricing just took its concept and threw it into the f150 price range, imo.

half tons are as big as 10 years prior 3/4 ton, 3/4 ton are as big as 10 year prior 1 tons, and so on. Some of these things barely fit in a freeway lane. It's ridiculous, if you ask me. Too much power, too long and wide... and you have a disaster for the average driver. No wonder there's so many collisions now

Our mavericks are on par dimension-wise with the tacoma 20 years ago... and its the smallest new truck option.

 

[npaladin2000]

Ok, I read it. I get to laugh now. The reason vehicles are growing in the US is because the MPG requirements are getting harder and harder to meet. And the smaller the car's footprint (wheelbase times track) the stricter it is. But that means anything smaller than the Maverick will likely need to be a pure BEV, especially if it's too small to accomodate a hybrid system. And given the small vehicle, and therefore small battery size...I wouldn't expect much from a sub-Maverick trucklet. You're talking Kei truck here...which Ford has no experience making, because not Japanese.

On top of that, people buying Rangers buy them for offroading or towing, because the Maverick just isn't as good in those areas, and doesn't need to be. Assuming they don't try to replace the Ranger with the F-150...again.

And Ford already makes semi trucks. The F-650 and up are all big boyz, and they used to have the Big Job semis too.

 

[Darnon]

The people spending $40+ are nuts, that is f150 / silverado / sierra / ram 1500 money.

I don't think you've priced trucks lately. That's only mid-size (Ranger, Colorado, Frontier, Ridgeline) money now. Lightly option a half-ton and you're close to $50k already.

 

[Lobstah]

I just picked up some lobsters and crabs from a fisherman I know and visit regularly. Asked if I still like it...told him I'm a huge fan of the hybrid.
He had 2 other guys there that work with him. One had brought up a crate of crab in his Silverado 2500 4wd, and he had is F150.
When I told him that if I stay off the highways, 55mph and under, I'm running 45-50mpg.
He came out with a tape, measured the bed, and asked for my dealer info. Said he can't change fuel consumption on his boat...but he can damned sure change it on his utility vehicle.

 

[tysonbisme]

I don't think you've priced trucks lately. That's only mid-size (Ranger, Colorado, Frontier, Ridgeline) money now. Lightly option a half-ton and you're close to $50k already.

Go to the various dealers, that is pricing based on msrp. base models... just like the maverick was intended to be. 1500s are often several thousand dollars off with incentives.

Even if it is mid-size money, ridiculous to spend that on a mav. just my $.02, not meant to offend.

 

[dusty1787]

Ok, I read it. I get to laugh now. The reason vehicles are growing in the US is because the MPG requirements are getting harder and harder to meet. And the smaller the car's footprint (wheelbase times track) the stricter it is. But that means anything smaller than the Maverick will likely need to be a pure BEV, especially if it's too small to accomodate a hybrid system. And given the small vehicle, and therefore small battery size...I wouldn't expect much from a sub-Maverick trucklet. You're talking Kei truck here...which Ford has no experience making, because not Japanese.

On top of that, people buying Rangers buy them for offroading or towing, because the Maverick just isn't as good in those areas, and doesn't need to be. Assuming they don't try to replace the Ranger with the F-150...again.

And Ford already makes semi trucks. The F-650 and up are all big boyz, and they used to have the Big Job semis too.

Ford did build for many years the Ute.... the Australian version of the old el-camino... a car with a truck bed. I think it was around till the late 20-teens. (but dont quote me on that), in which if you put in todays more fuel efficient hybrids with a streamlined car body type setup, I bet you could get great mpgs out of it. I also believe it had a slightly smaller footprint than the Maverick, but was 2 doors only I believe.

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