Ford Maverick Hybrid AWD Tested: The One the Maverick Always Needed

Pros:

-Incredibly versatile
-Practical and efficient
-Fun to drive

Cons:

-Limited hybrid readouts
-Price keeps creeping up
-Not everyone loves the post-refresh front end

Since it burst onto the scene in 2021, the Ford Maverick has gotten pretty much everything right, executing its mission—be cheap, cheerful, and useful—without any of the tired posturing that dominates the pickup truck space. It’s simply a good, honest truck, one so good out of the gate that it finished a single vote shy of claiming our 2022 Truck of the Year award. And then it won the whole damn thing for 2026.

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A thorough and substantive refresh powered this year’s TOTY win, including finally making AWD available with its frugal hybrid powertrain. The addition isn’t just a tweak, it’s a fundamental correction that finally makes the Maverick lineup feel whole. (In fact, the Maverick might have been a two-time Truck of the Year winner had this version been available from the jump.)

Same Power, Better Reality

The AWD hybrid’s combined 191 horsepower is the exact same as produced by front-drive hybrid Mavericks. Yet the truck drives with a noticeable difference from the first time you step on the gas with gusto. Our primary observations during regular driving is that it’s more stable and feels quicker overall than the front-drive model.

All-wheel drive allows the hybrid system to more effectively deploy its minimal amount of might, especially when merging after a cloverleaf, accelerating over loose surfaces, or pulling away from a stop on slippery pavement. Our testing backs up that impression on a closed course, too, even if the stopwatch doesn’t reveal a massive delta. The Maverick AWD Hybrid runs from 0 to 60 mph in 7.0 seconds, 0.7 quicker than the front-drive hybrid we tested for two years.

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Like every Maverick we’ve driven, this version is a better-handling truck than it has any right to be. Its steering is light but accurate, body motions are well controlled, and the overall experience remains more carlike than truckish. You don’t need the (also new) Lobo trim to have fun driving a Maverick (although we recommend at least test-driving that one because it’s a riot). Switch into Sport mode and turn off traction control, and the hybrid AWD Maverick will even let you have some fun on dirt; we had a blast sliding it through dusty curves. In regular driving, this easy controllability translates to sure-footed confidence in all kinds of weather and on various surfaces.

We also spent half a day off-roading the AWD Maverick Hybrid, and you might be surprised by what it can do. With momentum and patience, it will climb and scramble over terrain that can strand larger and theoretically more capable trucks. The Maverick’s off-road performance is limited by ground clearance, tire choice, and cooling, not will.

The AWD Maverick Hybrid even tows well, and you can now double its tugging capacity to 4,000 pounds with the 4K Tow package. We didn’t tow that much weight, but we did pull 1,500 pounds’ worth of jet skis, and the truck drove as if they weren’t even there. Tow/Haul mode is programmed well, igniting the engine whenever you move away from a stop (the hybrid will often start and cruise in electric-only mode) and increasing regenerative braking when you lift off the gas. I’ve personally towed in larger trucks that didn’t tow this well even at half or less of their capacity.

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Interior and Tech: Better, Still Honest

Ford wisely resisted the urge to fuss too much with the Maverick’s interior for the recent update, which remains a masterclass in practicality and visual interest despite an abundance of low-cost materials. A new, larger infotainment screen replaces what was a largely useless cubbyhole and modernizes the cabin without impacting the Maverick’s clever charm. The carved soapstone-look trim remains, and the varied textures still do an excellent job masking the truck’s affordable roots.

Nearly five years in, it’s still one of the smartest interiors out there, not because it’s fancy, but because it’s thoughtful. We still love the storage under the rear seat, the door cutouts that hold large water bottles, and the splashes of color throughout. That said, there are some misses. You can’t get adaptive cruise control unless you spring for the top-shelf versions, and we’d really like to have more insight into the hybrid powertrain’s energy flow and performance data. These are nitpicks, though, not dealbreakers.

The Verdict

The Ford Maverick AWD Hybrid doesn’t alter what the Maverick is—it completes it. From daily commuting and snowy driveways to towing small toys and dirt-road detours, this is the do-everything configuration the lineup has been missing, and it still returns excellent fuel economy at 40/34/37 mpg city/highway/combined. The Maverick was already one of the smartest trucks you could buy. Now it’s also one of the most versatile.