Ford Motor is adding a new off-road-ready package to its Maverick pickup in a bid to extend the sales success of its hot-selling small truck.
The new Maverick Tremor package includes a beefed-up, higher-riding suspension and a new all-wheel-drive system system powered by Ford’s 2-liter EcoBoost turbo four-cylinder engine. The package gives Maverick buyers access to an option that has proven popular on Ford’s larger pickups, said Todd Eckert, manager of Ford’s pickup marketing.
“Ranger, F-150 and Super Duty customers have embraced” the Tremor off-road packages that Ford has offered on those larger trucks, Eckert said. With the new Tremor package for Maverick, Ford aimed to bring similar off-road capabilities to the small truck while retaining its easy-to-park size and affordable price, he said.
The Tremor package will cost about $3,000, and buyers will be able to order it starting in September.
The Maverick has been a surprise hit for Ford, bringing new buyers to the brand drawn by its low price (it starts at about $21,000), its easy-to-park size (it’s roughly the size of a Toyota Avalon sedan), and its standard hybrid drivetrain (good for 40 miles per gallon in city driving). Ford said in May that Mavericks spend just five days on dealer lots, on average, before being sold.
The Maverick is also drawing new customers to the Ford brand — many of whom are buying their first-ever new vehicle. Ford said late last year that Maverick buyers are young, with about a quarter under 35. They’re also more likely to be female: About 25% of Maverick buyers are women, versus just 16% of those who buy Ford’s larger trucks.
Through the end of June, Ford had sold about 52,000 Mavericks since the truck’s launch last fall.