Liam White 
The 2022 Ford Maverick rethinks the pickup truck formula (and the name of a muscle car) as we know it in the US and Canadian markets. For one, it’s a front-wheel-drive based truck. Which is something that South American markets are definitely used to, and are used every day as utilitarian work machines. The second is that it’s a unibody vehicle, ditching the traditional body-on-frame truck setup. The result is a rather impressive 40 mpg standard, thanks to a FWD hybrid system, making it the most fuel efficient new truck on the American market. It’s also the most affordable new truck. That said, a unibody setup does often trade in towing and payload capabilities as a result. Even so, the 2022 Ford Maverick is plenty capable of towing and hauling the toys.
2022 Ford Maverick Max Payload Specs
The Ford Maverick payload capacity is standardized across both the 2.5L FHEV hybrid and the optional 2.0L EcoBoost engines, both of which come in at a firm 1,500 pounds. That’s roughly 37 bags of 40-pound mulch, or topsoil, or compost if you prefer. It can also fit your average ATV in the bed, making it a solid choice for those weekends up north.
For comparison, the Ford Ranger and the Ford F-150 have maximum payload capacities of 1,770 pounds and 3,325 pounds, respectively. The elder 2011 Ford Ranger, the pickup that the Maverick truly replaces in terms of size and price, was rated to carry as much as 1,560 pounds. Which is a difference of just four percent.
Similar market comparisons for the Maverick would include the new Hyundai Santa Cruz and (discontinued) Honda Ridgeline, both of which are also built on unibody frames, with maximum payload capacities of 1,700 pounds and 1,583 pounds.
2022 Ford Maverick Max Towing Specs
The towing abilities of the new Ford Maverick pickup truck remain standardized among the two engine trims at 2,000 pounds. The last-generation Ford Ranger could pull as much as 5,800 pounds, and here is where you see the specialization of a body-on-frame design shine through.
However, there is a way to double-up that number to 4,000 pounds. You’ll need to ask your Ford sales rep for the 2.0L EcoBoost and the optional 4K Tow Package. To compare, the Santa Cruz and Ridgeline counterparts both top out at 5,000 pounds of tow, edging it by a hefty thousand pounds.
You won’t see any commercials of the Maverick towing a trailer full of rocks through an unpaved road, or much less, watching it square off in a tug-of-war contest with Tesla’s Cybertruck, but that’s not the point. The Maverick is a perfectly capable small pick-up for those who don’t need to tow boulders or haul thousands of pounds of heavy machinery. If one did, well, there’s a whole Ford truck portfolio to choose from.
