Automotive Engineering - August 2021 - 13

ROAD READY
Ford's unibody 2022 Maverick aims to revitalize the compact pickup
our team, " Mazur asserted. He cited a
long list of Maverick features including
the hybrid driveline, standard driverassist
electronics, five drive modes,
8-inch (203-mm) UX touchscreen and
the truck's cleverly designed Flexbed
cargo bed. " At Ford, we've been doing
hybrids for almost 20 years. Coupled
with economies of scale with our supply
base, that's how we went about
achieving that [$20,000 price] goal. "
An interesting off-the-shelf technology
solution is found on the 2WD
The 2022 Ford Maverick is available with a choice of hybrid and non-hybrid Ecoboost powertrains.
Confirming one of the industry's worstkept
product secrets, Ford in early
June unveiled the 2022 Maverick, its
return to the compact-pickup segment
that the original Ford Ranger anchored
for nearly 30 years. The new 4-door,
5-passenger, unibody Maverick brings
three significant numbers - 40 mpg
capability with the standard hybrid
powertrain, a $20,000 base price and
a cargo-friendly 30.1-in (764-mm)
load-floor height - to a product segment
that is ripe for revitalization in
North America. And strategically,
Maverick leverages the production
scale and cost benefits of Ford's C2
global architecture that also underpins
the Escape and Bronco Sport SUVs.
Maverick is the industry's first pickup
with standard hybrid-electric propulsion.
The system combines Ford's 2.5-L
Atkinson-cycle 4-cylinder, SAE-rated at
162 hp, with the two-motor, power-split
continuously variable transaxle used in
the Escape hybrid. Total system output
in this front-wheel-drive-only configuration
is 191 hp. An optional non-hybrid
system, available with both FWD and
all-wheel drive, pairs a 2.0-L Ecoboost
4-cylinder SAE-rated at 250-hp and
277 lb-ft (375 Nm) with the 8F35
8-speed automatic.
Maverick is assembled at Ford's
Hermosillo, Mexico, complex in three
trims (XL, XLT and Lariat) and goes on
sale in the U.S. this summer.
AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING
" A rallying cry "
Slotting in below the midsize Ranger,
Maverick is designed to be easier to
park and maneuver in town. It's also
significantly more fuel-efficient, less
expensive and simply more approachable
to passenger-car owners who want
a useful hauler, versus a " junior " take on
the traditional full-frame pickup.
Product-planning research showed that
a 5-passenger crew cab with a 4-footwide,
4.5-foot-long (1,372-mm) bed was
the ideal for a compact pickup and " a
key to versatility, " explained program
chief engineer Chris Mazur. That, and
leveraging the C2 platform, negated a
mix of cab and bed configurations.
Delivering the new pickup at such an
aggressive base price " was a rallying
cry for us; a wildly audacious goal for
truck's twist-beam rear axle: so-called
" force vectoring " springs. First used on
the European Focus ST (and still in production),
the unusual coil springs generate
lateral forces under certain dynamic
conditions. " Rear suspension on
AWD models is an independent multilink/trailing
arm setup. All-wheel drive
XLT and Lariat Mavericks offer an available
FX4 package that includes all-terrain
tires, underbody skid plates, suspension
tuning, specific off-road drive
modes, and Ford's Hill Descent Control.
In-house traction motor
Maverick's 60-lb (27-kg), 1.1-kWh liquid-cooled
lithium-ion battery pack,
also a carryover from Escape Hybrid, is
located under the passenger-side cabin.
In addition to being Ford's first
standard hybrid pickup, it also breaks
ground for using the company's first
in-house designed, engineered, tested
and manufactured traction motor,
The 2022 Maverick's car-like cockpit design is clean, contemporary, and features an 8-in touch
screen. Armrests in door panels are shaped to accommodate large bottles in door binnacles.
July/August 2021 13
BOTH IMAGES: FORD

Automotive Engineering - August 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Automotive Engineering - August 2021