2025 Ford Maverick Hands-On Preview: Ask and You Shall Receive
With the Maverick’s mid-cycle refresh, Ford is giving the people what they want.
Sixty percent. That is the Ford Maverick’s conquest rate: over half of buyers are coming to it from other segments or brands. That is a remarkable achievement, and further proof that Ford really was onto something when it launched the affordable, unibody truck back in late 2021.
That’s not to say there isn’t room for improvement. Since the Maverick’s friendly face arrived on the scene, folks have been clamoring for improvements. Things like the ability to pair all-wheel drive with the hybrid powertrain, or a street-focused performance model like the compact trucks of the ‘90s.
For ’25, Ford is offering all that and more, with more Maverick flavors and a big tech upgrade to boot. During the yearly Drive Festival at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, we had a chance to poke around the updated truck. Here’s what stood out.
Hybrid AWD
Easily the most-requested feature we’ve heard from would-be Maverick buyers is an electrified AWD solution. That headlines the changes for 2025, and even matches the gas model’s 4,000-pound tow rating with an available 4K Tow Package. Beyond the extra driven axle, this is the same hybrid powertrain we saw before, pairing a 2.5-liter naturally-aspirated engine with an electric motor, and funneling it all through an electronic continuously variable transmission. Total system output is 191 horsepower.
The move drops fuel economy figures, but not by much. Ford estimates a 2 mile-per-gallon drop for the city range, going from 42 mpg in the FWD model to 40 mpg with AWD. (The Canadian FWD figure is 5.6 L/100 km; AWD was unavailable at time of writing.) The cost of the upgrade? $2,220 in America, and $2,500 CAD in the Great White North.
New Street Performance Trim: Lobo
The 2.0-liter EcoBoost isn’t without its own news either, as Ford will introduce the Maverick Lobo early next year. Borrowing its name from the Mexican-market version of the F-150, this street truck sits almost an inch lower to the ground, riding on big, turbo fan-style 19-inch alloy wheels. It also nets exclusive design tweaks such as a painted rear bumper, unique front bumper design, and black roof. There’s some corporate parts bin raiding too: the Lobo pulls its larger front brakes from the Euro-market Focus ST, and uses the larger radiator and transmission oil cooler from the 4K Towing Package for improved cooling. There’s also a unique Lobo Mode drive mode, though Ford cautions this is only meant for track use.
Inside, the Lobo features splashes of Grabber Blue and Electric Lime accents, plus a unique seat pattern said to be inspired by graffiti.
Big tech upgrades, small design changes
The 2025 Maverick swaps in hooked headlights that better align with the rest of Ford’s truck family look, sure. I’ll say it: I prefer the pre-facelift looks. I just really enjoyed the friendly, non-threatening look of the old ones. The rest of the shape is more or less the same, save for trim-specific grilles and some new wheel designs including 19s on the top Lariat trim. The Tremor now becomes its own model, just like on F-150.
Inside, even the base XL now features a digital instrument cluster—a popular aftermarket swap on the current truck, now made standard. The awkward cubby beside the touchscreen? Gone, since the screen now measures a huge 13.2 inches and runs SYNC 4. I got to play around with this and—no surprises here—it runs basically as it does in numerous other Ford products. The big win here is improved functionality with wireless Apple and Android phone mirroring, along with speedier responses. The instrument cluster animations are pure window dressing, sure; but remember, this is still the most affordable truck you can buy in Canada or the US. A lot of pricier options do a lot worse. The rest of the cabin sees new accent colors, depending on trim: the XLT Hybrid AWD I get to poke around has Grabber Blue highlights in the vents and center console.
Other tech upgrades include an available 360-degree camera, while Lariat and Tremor now feature full-range adaptive cruise control, lane centering, and Predictive Speed Assist. Starting early next year, the Maverick will also feature the Pro Trailer Hitch Assist and Pro Trailer Backup Assist, two bits of tech we first experienced (and enjoyed) on the 2024 Ford Ranger. The latter in particular takes the sting out of backing up with a trailer, allowing drivers to simply rotate a dial to determine the trailer’s direction: the truck takes care of the rest.
Overall, the 2025 Ford Maverick looks to be adding extra value for cost-conscious buyers, while expanding the range of available flavors. Ford touts the hybrid as the best-selling electrified truck in America (the F-150 hybrid just pips it in Canada); we don’t expect that to change with these improvements. Orders are now open, and deliveries should start on all but the Lobo before year’s end. Pricing starts from $27,890 ($36,795 CAD), including destination.
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Kyle began his automotive obsession before he even started school, courtesy of a remote control Porsche and various LEGO sets. He later studied advertising and graphic design at Humber College, which led him to writing about cars (both real and digital). He is now a proud member of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC), where he was the Journalist of the Year runner-up for 2021.
More by Kyle Patrick
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