4X4 Truck Guide
Compact Hybrid Gas

2026 Ford Maverick

1st generation (2022–present)

Spec plateChecked Sep 2026

Starting price
$28,145
AWD/4x4 from
—
Max towing
4,000 lb
Max payload
1,500 lb
Most power
250 hp
Ground clearance
9.1 in
———
Approach · Breakover · Departure
Tremor

Our verdict

The Maverick's strength is the hybrid: 37 mpg combined with AWD, and no other gas or hybrid pickup comes close. The Tremor is a legitimate light-duty trail package, with a locking twin-clutch rear drive unit, skid plates and 9.1 in of clearance, but it's still a unibody AWD truck with no low range. It handles snow, sand and rutted dirt well; rock gardens and steep technical climbs are outside its lane.

Best for

Buyers who want a cheap, efficient small pickup for daily driving and light hauling, with the Tremor for anyone who runs forest roads, sand or muddy two-tracks on weekends.

Skip it if

You need a low range, more than 4,000 lb of towing, or a truck you can lift and armor for hard trails.

Strengths

  • Hybrid AWD is rated at 37 mpg combined; the next-best AWD truck in this group, the base Santa Cruz, manages 24
  • Tremor's Rear Drive Unit Lock and Trail Control give it real traction aids for a small truck
  • Starts at $28,145, the cheapest truck in this group
  • Up to 4,000 lb towing with the 4K Tow Package on hybrid or EcoBoost

Weak spots

  • No low range on any version, Tremor included
  • Tremor is EcoBoost-only and drops to 23 mpg combined
  • 4.5-ft bed and 1,500-lb payload cap limit work use
  • Unibody and independent rear suspension limit articulation and aftermarket lift options compared with body-on-frame trucks

Capability vs other compact trucks

Max towing4,000 lb

80% of the class best (5,000 lb)

Max payload1,500 lb

Class best in our database

Ground clearance9.1 in

Class best in our database

Cabs
SuperCrew
Bed lengths
4.5 ft
Fuel economy
23–37 mpg combined for AWD versions per fueleconomy.gov (hybrid AWD 37, Lariat hybrid AWD 36, EcoBoost AWD 25, Lobo 24, Tremor 23)
Pricing notes
Excludes destination. $28,145 is the XL hybrid FWD. AWD is optional on XL, XLT and Lariat (with the hybrid or the 2.0L EcoBoost) Ford doesn't list the AWD option price separately. Base styles with AWD: Lobo from $35,930, Lariat hybrid AWD from $38,090, Tremor from $40,645.
Configurations
Four-door SuperCrew only with a 4.5-ft bed (Ford Canada lists 1.37 m / 33.3 cu ft); unibody construction on a 121.1-in wheelbase.

Off-road hardware

4WD / AWD system

No Maverick has a transfer case or low range. XL, XLT and Lariat offer an optional on-demand, front-biased AWD system with either engine. Lobo and Tremor use what Ford calls Advanced 4WD, which is also full-time AWD but with a twin-clutch rear drive unit that can shift torque between the rear wheels; Tremor adds a Rear Drive Unit Lock that engages both clutches so the rear wheels turn together like a locked axle.

Locking differentials

Tremor only: a Rear Drive Unit Lock engages both clutches in the twin-clutch rear drive unit so the rear wheels turn together. Lobo has the twin-clutch unit without the lock. No front locker on any Maverick, and standard AWD models have no locking feature.

Off-road geometry — Tremor
Approach angleNot published
Breakover angleNot published
Departure angleNot published
Ground clearance9.1 in
Water fordingNot published

Off-road tech

  • Advanced 4WD with twin-clutch rear drive unit (Lobo, Tremor)
  • Rear Drive Unit Lock (Tremor)
  • Trail Control with Trail 1-Pedal Drive (Tremor)
  • Off-Road drive mode (Tremor)
  • Skid plates (Tremor)

Engines & transmissions

EnginePowerTorqueTransmission
2.5L I-4 hybridStandard on XL, XLT and Lariat; FWD or AWD. Ford's US site lists 184 hp combined; other sources list 191 hp. — — Power-split electronic CVT
2.0L EcoBoost turbo I-4Optional on XL/XLT/Lariat (FWD or AWD for 2026); standard on Lobo and Tremor with Advanced 4WD. 250 hp at 5,500 rpm, 280 lb-ft at 3,000 rpm. 250 hp 280 lb-ft 8-speed automatic

The off-road trims

Tremor

EcoBoost with Advanced 4WD and Rear Drive Unit Lock, off-road-tuned springs and shocks, all-terrain tires on 17-in wheels, skid plates, a reshaped front bumper for a better approach angle, and 9.1 in of ground clearance.

What's new for 2026

The 2.0L EcoBoost can again be ordered with front-wheel drive. Kelley Blue Book also reports a standard Ford Connectivity Package with a one-year subscription, an optional power-sliding rear window, a standalone full-size spare option, and new Marsh Gray and Orange Fury paint.

Rivals worth a look

Hyundai Santa Cruz Maverick vs Santa Cruz
Ford Ranger Maverick vs Ranger
Honda Ridgeline Maverick vs Ridgeline

Sources & data notes

These specs were checked on September 24, 2026 against the sources below, starting with the manufacturer's own material. When a figure isn't published, we leave it blank instead of estimating. Ratings are maximums for the best-equipped configuration; confirm yours on the door-jamb labels.

Sources for this page 11
  1. ford.comford.com/trucks/maverick/
  2. ford.caford.ca/trucks/maverick/
  3. edmunds.comedmunds.com/ford/maverick/2026/features-specs/
  4. edmunds.comedmunds.com/ford/maverick/2026/
  5. kbb.comkbb.com/ford/maverick/2026/
  6. en.wikipedia.orgen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Maverick_(2022)
  7. fueleconomy.govfueleconomy.gov/ws/rest/vehicle/50082
  8. fueleconomy.govfueleconomy.gov/ws/rest/vehicle/50083
  9. fueleconomy.govfueleconomy.gov/ws/rest/vehicle/50084
  10. fueleconomy.govfueleconomy.gov/ws/rest/vehicle/50085
  11. fueleconomy.govfueleconomy.gov/ws/rest/vehicle/50086

Understand the hardware