The 2022 Ford Maverick’s standard powertrain is an efficient gas-electric hybrid system that pairs a 2.5-liter, 162hp Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder gas engine with a 94kW permanent magnet electric motor, delivering a combined output of 191 hp and 155 lb-ft torque. A CVT drives the front wheels, with response controlled by several selectable drive modes including normal, eco, sport, slippery and tow/haul. Ford estimates the hybrid Maverick will return 40 city mpg and have a range of 500 miles. It also has a 2,000-pound towing capacity and can carry up to 1,500 pounds of payload in its 4.5-foot bed. All this goodness comes at a very affordable $20,000 base price.

An optional 2.0-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder gas engine is rated at 250 hp and 277 lb-ft. torque. It’s backed by a conventional 8-speed automatic transmission driving the front wheels, or all four with an optional AWD system. A 4K Tow Package available with the EcoBoost engine increases tow capacity to 4,000 pounds. Maverick is available in XL, XLT and Lariat trim levels

The Maverick’s cabin features bucket seats in front and a rear bench seat that flips up for storage bin access. Even in base XL trim, Maverick has a 4.2-inch productivity screen in the instrument cluster and an 8-inch center touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability. The standard FordPass Connect system includes an embedded modem and can act as a wireless hotpot, while also enabling the owner to lock and unlock doors, check fuel level, and start the truck from a smartphone.

Ford Co-Pilot360 technology available for the Maverick has several safety features. Pre-collision assist with automatic emergency braking is standard, while adaptive cruise control, blind-spot information, cross-traffic alert, lane centering, and evasive steering assist round out the package as optional features.

An abbreviated 4.5-foot bed can carry the requisite 4x8-foot plywood sheets, provided the multi-position tailgate is opened to its half-way position so the plywood can rest on top of the wheel wells. Ford has designed several organization and storage features into the Maverick’s FlexBed, from tie-downs and D-rings to slots in the bed walls to hold 2x4s or 2x6s so owners can create their own storage areas. A scannable QR code in the bed links to other cargo carrying ideas. Removable covers in the back of the bed allow access to 12-volt power sources. Owners can also opt to have 110-volt, 400-watt outlets in the bed and the cab.

Maverick will be available in a First Edition option package that adds unique graphics, wheels, and tires to the Lariat trim level. An FX4 package available for AWD models includes all-season tires, suspension tuning, tow hooks, skid plates, upgraded cooling system components, hill-descent control, and the addition of mud/ruts and sand to the selectable drive modes.

Ford’s aluminum bodied F-150, an all-new generation that debuted in the 2015 model year, is revolutionary. It is also distinguished as Green Car Journal’s 2016 Green Truck of the Year™, an honor bestowed at the recent San Antonio Auto & Truck Show in Texas.

Besides this new generation's more refined look and improvements across the board, use of an all-aluminum body has allowed Ford to decrease the pickup’s body weight by 630 pounds, with a high-strength steel frame reducing weight by another 70 pounds. This lightweighting contributes toward higher fuel efficiency without sacrificing the durability and all-around functionality F-150 buyers have come to expect from their pickups over many decades.

For 2016, Ford expanded the F-150 lineup with a new Limited edition for discerning high-end truck buyers, plus special edition appearance packages available for XLT and Lariat models. An all-new aluminum-bodied F-250 has now joined the Ford pickup lineup and this heavy-duty variant will be detailed in a future article.

The F-150’s weight reduction brings the added benefit of better performance. Simply, it takes less power to propel the truck when empty so acceleration is noticeably improved. With less mass working on the chassis, the truck has a lighter feel and handles better than the previous model generation. Braking is also improved since there is less weight to bring to a halt. Cargo bed payload capacity and gross combined vehicle weight ratings (GCVWR) remain similar on the new truck compared to the previous generation, so the lighter aluminum F-150 can haul and tow hundreds heavier loads.

Ford offers F-150 buyers four engine choices to fit varying requirements including a 2.7-liter EcoBoost V-6, 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6,  3.5-liter Ti-VCT V-6, and a 5.0-liter Ti-VCT V-8. The 2.7-liter EcoBoost engine should be of particular interest to drivers seeking a balance of power, functionality, and efficiency. This engine allows the F-150 to achieve up to 26 highway and 19 city mpg while also enabling towing up to 8,500 pounds. Other powertrain choices allow towing up to 12,100 pounds. Ford has integrated the sport mode feature found in the Mustang that changes the frequency of gearshifts, thus enabling drivers to keep the F-150 in the ‘sweet’ spot of the powerband while holding lower gears longer for a more engaging driving experience.

A gaseous-fuel prep option is now available with the F-150‘s 5.0-liter V-8 engine. This positions the F-150 as the only light-duty pickup capable of running on compressed natural gas or propane to help further reduce operating costs and CO2 emissions.

The 2016 F-150 features SYNC 3, Ford’s newest communications and entertainment system that delivers enhanced voice recognition and a capacitive touch screen. Plus, the F-150’s segment-first Pro Trailer Backup Assist technology makes it easier to back a trailer up to launch a boat or park in a driveway. Using the F-150’s advanced camera technology, a driver steers a trailer instinctively by turning a knob left or right to indicate direction, then backs up as the truck controls its steering and limits vehicle speed.

Pickup buyers have a wide choice of F-150 engine, cab configuration, and trim levels in either two- or four-wheel drive, at a starting cost of $26,540.

Ford’s 3.7-liter V-6 equipped-150 pickup is now available with a factory-installed, gaseous-fuel prep package, making Ford the only manufacturer offering a CNG/LPG-capable half-ton pickup. The $315 engine prep package includes hardened valves, valve seats, pistons, and rings so it can operate on either natural gas or gasoline through separate fuel systems.

The light-duty Ford CNG pickup is now being offered as a ship-thru option by Michigan-based Venchurs Vehicle Systems, the first of several Ford Qualified Vehicle Modifiers (QVMs) that will be marketing the 2014 F-150 as a natural gas vehicle. QVMs supply the fuel tanks, fuel lines, and unique fuel injectors. Ford has a rigorous QVM qualification program to help modifiers achieve greater levels of customer satisfaction and product acceptance through the manufacture of high-quality alternative fuel vehicles. Conversions can be financed through Ford Credit.

According to Ford, upfitting to gaseous fuel operation costs approximately $7,500 to $9,500. Ford maintains the engine and powertrain limited warranty (five years or 60,000 miles) while the modifier is responsible for the system component warranty.

Conversions can provide stability against fluctuating fuel prices as well as lower operating costs. CNG sells for an average of $2.11 per gallon of gasoline equivalent, and as low as $1 in some parts of the country. The F-150 CNG/LPG can travel up to 750+ miles on one tank of gas.

Since reintroducing the option in 2009, Ford has established itself as the leader in CNG/LPG engine sales. It is on track to sell over 15,000 CNG/LPG-prepped vehicles this year, an increase of over 25 percent from 2012.

With the F-150, Ford will have eight vehicles running on CNG/LPG. These range from Transit and E-Series vans, wagons, cutaways, and chassis cabs to F-Series Super Duty pickups and chassis cabs.