Ford's Maverick Pickup Wasn't Named After Its Classic Car

To some people, the name Ford Maverick conjures up images of a small car that debuted in 1969 as a 1970 model. The Ford Maverick of that era was designed to battle the growing popularity of imported vehicles and was available in a two-door or four-door body style. In some versions, the car could be considered a muscle car, but it was an economy car for the most part.

For people of a certain age or those familiar with the muscle car versions of the Maverick, when Ford revealed its new Maverick pickup, some eyebrows were raised. Ford has now talked a bit about why it chose that name with Ford Authority. Essentially, Ford says the target market for the truck is buyers between 25 and 35 years old, though the truck will certainly appeal to people outside of that target demographic. People in the target age group aren't typically familiar with the Maverick from the past.

Specifically, Ford Maverick Marketing Manager Trevor Scott said people in the target demographic don't recognize the Maverick name at all. Whatever the truck is called, and whyever Ford chose the name, it certainly hasn't raised controversy like Ford created when it called the Mach-E EV a Mustang.

The Maverick will certainly be a popular little truck with a standard hybrid engine at a price tag starting at under $20,000. One of the biggest features of the truck is its fuel-efficiency, estimated to be 40 MPG in the city and 37 MPG combined. Maverick is exactly the type of vehicle Ford promised it would bring to market when it eliminated all cars except for the Mustang in America.

The standard hybrid engine produces 191 horsepower and 155 pound-foot of torque paired with a CVT. However, buyers will be able to choose a 2.0-liter EcoBoost that can tow up to 4000 pounds, makes 250 horsepower and 277 pound-foot of torque but gives up that fantastic fuel economy.