2025 Ford Maverick Lobo Review: Rekindling the Flame

The Ford Maverick Lobo burst on the scene last year with promises of recapturing the mini-truck era of the ‘80s and ‘90s. For those of us of a certain age, we fondly remember these slammed trucks with massive sound systems, shiny paint, and cool wheels.

The new Mav takes this to heart as a small truck designed more for looks and on-road performance rather than usual truck-stuff. It looked full of promise on the surface, but only a week with the new Lobo would really determine whether it’s a compact sport-truck renaissance, or empty promises.

At 200.9-inches length, it might seem a stretch (get it) to call the Maverick a compact truck. But compared to mid-size and full-size trucks, it’s a good bit smaller. The 67.7-inch height of the Lobo only reinforces this fact.

Changes to the Lobo body include a black painted vertical grille and accent bar. The rear bumper in now painted as are the large rocker skirts. The front bumper is unique and the roof is painted black. Most noticeable though are the turbofan black 19-inch wheels. Not everyone may be a fan of these wheels, but we dig them. Overall, the truck has such a presence, especially compared to regular Mavericks.

The Lobo only comes with one of the Maverick’s engine choices, the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder. In the small truck it makes the same 250 hp and 280 lb-ft of torque. The big difference is in what’s attached to the engine. Gone is the eight-speed automatic, replaced by a '7-speed' automatic transmission that Ford calls Quick Shift.

The transmission allows more power to be sent rearward when called for thanks to a twin-clutch rear differential. It makes the truck feel more rapid with the quick-fire gear changes. It adds eagerness to the package, making the Maverick more engaging behind the wheel. Controlling gears through the paddle shifters, even in Lobo mode, does not produce sports car-like reactions though. There’s still a bit of delay as the transmission must handle some truck duties. This is no Elantra N or CLA 45.

Engine power itself is beyond adequate, pulling with good haste around town. Weighing in around 3,800 pounds, the Maverick Lobo has a better power to weight ratio than BMW X3 xDrive30i for reference. If spirited driving is your thing, the oil and transmission coolers from the tow package are included on Lobo to help keep things in check.

While driving, the turbo whistles away as Ford scaled back the intake sound deadening for the Lobo. Continuing with sound, the engine note inside the truck sounds robust, deep, like there’s plenty more than just four cylinders under the hood. On the outside however, the hidden exhaust tucked up under the bed makes the usual raspy, unflattering 4-cylinder noises.

Let’s set some expectations before digging deep into this section. Despite its sporty pretensions, the Maverick Lobo is not going to attack corners or set lap times on par with a Subaru WRX tS or Volkswagen GTI. But if one remembers this is a pickup at its core, even if it is a crossover based one, then the fun-to-drive level is exceptionally high.

The Lobo is entertaining behind the wheel in its own way. Hustling it around town is a blast. It’s a battle between the senses experiencing the drive and the subconscious thinking this open-bed family hauler shouldn’t be this charming.

The mechanical bits that add to this driving experience are quite simple. The suspension is tuned for better body control and is lowered 0.5-inches up front (1.27 centimetres) and 1.12-inches in the rear (3.00 centimeters). There are dual piston front brakes pulled the European Focus ST. Despite this, we wouldn’t say braking is the truck’s strong point. The tires remain rather skinny at 225/55R19. They provide decent bite, but it’s easy to overwhelm the front tires when entering a corner too quickly. On the plus side, in Lobo mode it’s possible to break traction to the rear tires and induce a drift.

For those unfamiliar, the Lobo drive mode limits stability control and uses rear power distribution and brakes to rotate the truck. We didn’t didn’t get to really test this to its limits as no track was available during our test week. Judging by the scorched front tires though, it appears plenty before us have. The truck had zero issues during our week with it, so that’s a testament to its ability to take some abuse.

On a truck front. The Lobo is all-wheel drive, has 7.4-inches (188 mm) of ground clearance, and can carry up to 1,040 pounds (472 kg) of payload. With the sportier transmission, towing capacity is reduced in the Lobo, down to just 2,000 pounds (907 kg).

Despite the sport tuned suspension and lowered ride height, the Maverick Lobo doesn’t punish occupants, trying to compress their spines. In fact, the ride quality isn’t bad at all, and compared to a traditional truck, the unibody-bones on the Maverick hold a big comfort edge.

Inside, there's a power driver’s seat and heated front seats. Those two front seats hold adults no problem, but the rear seats are a bit tighter. They’re not as crammed as some mid-size trucks, like the Tacoma, but the Mav doesn’t offer as much comfort as similar sized SUVs.

During the height of the minitruck scene, the interiors of these custom pickups got just as much attention and modifications as the exteriors. For the Lobo, Ford added some restrained vibrance and the brand claims the interior is inspired by athletic shoes. 

The ActiveX trimmed seats have Grabber Blue and Electric Lime stitching with the word Lobo embossed on the seat back. There are other trim details, like the blue added to the funky interior door grab handles. Hard plastics do dominate much of the interior otherwise, but many have etched patterns to keep things visually interesting.

Most of the basic features expected in 2025 come included with the Lobo. Out tester added the optional wireless charging pad, 400W/110V bed mounted outlets, remote start, power moonroof, ambient lighting, B&O audio system, LED box lighting, bed liner, and bed tie down locking rail. The large 13.2-inch infotainment screen is angled downward too much for out liking, most likely to avoid glare. It did function properly and although the truck lacks a lot of hard buttons, at least the main screen keeps a row of digital buttons on the bottom through most menu displays.

On a safety front, our truck includes intelligent cruise control, 360-degree camera, auto high-beam, pre-collision assist, lane-keep aid, blindspot monitoring, lane-centering, Ford Co-Pilot360, and more.

The Maverick Lobo doesn’t really have any direct competitors. Heck, the Maverick barely has any direct competition. Trying to place pricing on the Lobo is a bit tricky on a relative scale, so it all comes down to perceived value. In the United States, pricing starts at $29,840 (all prices include destination charges) for the entry level Maverick. As tested, our Lobo came in at $43,120. That puts it around the same price as a turbocharged Hyundai Santa Cruz, although that’s for the off-road XRT model. It undercuts the Toyota Tacoma TRD Sport 4X4, which isn’t really apples to apples.

In Canada, pricing starts at $36,895, with our tester clipping in at $49,995.

Ever since it was launched, the Ford Maverick has found a lot of fans at the AutoGuide office. It’s one of our favorite compact vehicles, regardless of body style. The new Lobo just cements our love for the small truck further. Is it the ultimate vehicle for an enthusiast homeowner with a yard, garden, and/or family. Maybe not, but it’s definitely in that conversation.

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