It’s safe to say Australians love a Ford utility. For decades we bought the Falcon ute by the truckload and now we’ve turned our affection to the Ranger dual-cab.
So why not add another one?
Ford has just revealed the updated Maverick in the United States, and it’s arguably the spiritual successor to the Falcon ute. Like the Falcon, which was based on the sedan family car, the Maverick isn’t built on a ladder frame chassis but instead has the same underpinnings as the Escape SUV.
That makes it a compact, lifestyle-oriented ute, rather than a workhorse, but that’s what the Falcon ute was to so many Australians. It allowed us to commute to work during the week and chuck dirt bikes, surfboards or other weekend toys in the back when the time came.
The updated 2025 model year Maverick expands its appeal by adding the Tremor specification line, alongside the XL, XLT and Lariat models; which tie-in with the Ranger and F-150 nameplates. The optional hybrid powertrain is now available with all-wheel drive, while the designers have added new headlights, revised grilles and refreshed the interior with a new 13.2-inch infotainment touchscreen.
By far the biggest change is the addition of the all-new Maverick Lobo. This extra member of the family is a nod to the popular US (and Australian) trend of lowering pickups for a tougher look and better on-road performance.
Ford calls the Lobo its “street performance version of the Maverick” as the counterpoint to the off-road focused Tremor. And the Lobo has some genuine performance upgrades too, it’s not all marketing. For starters, it’s powered by Ford’s 2.0-litre turbocharged EcoBoost engine, but also gets bespoke on-road tuned suspension, which is lowered in comparison to the rest of the Maverick range.
The Lobo gets a unique front fascia, black roof, painted rear bumper and unique 19-inch black alloy wheels to ensure it stands out visually, while inside there’s contrasting stitching and graffiti-inspired cloth trim.
Lobo even comes with a special driving mode for track use, which uses torque vectoring to help the little truck corner with more responsiveness. It also gets the same braking hardware as the Focus ST hot hatch for better stopping.
Unfortunately there are no current plans to bring the Maverick in any form to Australia, in part due to its popularity in the US, but surely a compact but practical ute designed for an adventurous, outdoors lifestyle would make the perfect addition to the Ford Australia range.
Let us know what you think in the comments: Is the Maverick ideal for Australia or too small to be taken seriously?
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