The Maverick has been one of Ford’s biggest hits in recent years. The affordable compact pickup has been flying out of showrooms since it was introduced in 2021. Good luck finding a discount on one; you’ll be lucky to find one in stock. Especially now that the updated 2025 models are on sale.
Its secret recipe for success is combining car-like comfort with a useful 4.5-foot-long bed. It is built on the same crossover platform used by the Bronco Sport SUV, which sets it apart from Ford’s other pickups.
It hasn’t hurt that Ford offers it in a wide variety of models. The headliner is the front-wheel-drive hybrid that delivers up to 38 mpg, which is by far the best of any pickup that doesn’t have a plug. Ford added an all-wheel-drive hybrid model this year to further broaden its appeal, and it still gets 37 mpg combined fuel economy.
There are also turbocharged versions that have 250 hp four-cylinder engines and all-wheel-drive. Tops among them used to be the high-riding off-road Tremor trim, but now it has a rival that is its polar opposite.
The Maverick Lobo is a new performance model that is like the pony car of pickups, even if its name is Spanish for “wolf.” This is particularly fitting, as the Maverick is made in Mexico.
The Lobo is powered by the turbocharged engine, like the Tremor, but it rides low to the ground and comes standard with dish-shaped black wheels and blacked-out trim to give it a style inspired by Southern California’s custom street truck scene.
It backs up the looks with true performance upgrades that include a stiff suspension, a quicker steering ratio that makes it more responsive and a special rear differential that can actively direct power to either side to help it turn when it is being driven fast.
Ford actually encourages owners to do this with it, but only off the street on an autocross course or closed race track. A special Lobo drive mode reduces the stability and traction control to make the Maverick easier to slide around like a sports car. The engine cooling system has been upgraded in case you do that often.
Even if you don’t, the Lobo feels very different than the other Mavericks on the road, more like a Mustang than an F-150. It’s an odd sensation to step down into a pickup these days. If you like to use your pickup to haul the old fashioned way, the Lobo has a payload capacity of 1,045 pounds and a 2,000-pound trailer rating, while other models max out at 1,500 pounds and 4,000 pounds, respectively.
The updates across the lineup for 2025 include a redesigned front end and a large 13.2-inch touchscreen for the infotainment system. Prices start at $29,840 for a base XL and $37,625 for the Lobo, which gets special upholstery with Lobo logos and blue and green stitching.
Options for the Lobo include a lane-centering adaptive cruise control system, a 360-degree camera system and Ford’s Pro Trailer Hitch Assist, which is an amazing technology. It uses the backup camera to spot the coupler on a trailer and then autonomously reverses and steers the truck to line up its hitch ball with it as the driver simply presses a button on the dashboard.
While a lot of people buy trucks to actually take advantage of their capability, many just think they are fun to drive and the Maverick Lobo brings a new kind of fun to the party. It won’t be alone for long, however.
Ford has announced plans to launch a F-150 Lobo later this year that applies the same formula on a larger scale and may prove once and for all if you can have too much of a good thing.
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