2023 Ford Maverick Tremor
From our experiences with the Ford Maverick last year, we were pleased to see that it continues to attract consumers wanting a smaller pickup truck. In its first full year of sales, Ford sold 74,370 units. Ford also stated that retail order books are filled through the 2023 model year.
If you are one of the lucky people who have an order in for a 2023 Maverick, you might be in luck. Hopefully, you ordered one with the latest edition to the 2023 lineup - the Tremor package.
The Tremor package is a way for Ford to add more off-road capability to their entire pickup truck lineup. While not a full-on Raptor model, Tremor models adds more than what is specified with the FX4 Off-Road package. The Tremor package is already available on the Ranger, F-150, and F-Series Super Duty.
Does adding a Tremor package to the Maverick add more to this highly desirable small pickup truck?
The 2023 Ford Maverick remains on the same compact SUV platform as the Escape and Bronco Sport. It is a unibody pickup truck that comes only in a four-door cab integrated with a 54.4-inch bed.
The unibody SuperCrew cab and integrated bed remains a simple, straightforward design. The profile matches any modern pickup truck, but down to a smaller footprint. The front end is blunt, but with some distinctive Ford truck design elements, including a set of split headlamps.
The bed’s floor loads flush with the tailgate. Ford created a FLEXBED system that makes organizing cargo, including a way to haul bicycles without losing key space.
Our tester started out as an XLT trim model. The Tremor package adds all-terrain tires, an off-road tuned suspension with a lift of just an inch, steel skid plates, darkened appearance features with some bronze-ish trim, and some decals on the hood. The result is a sportier looking Maverick made for leisure pursuits.
Inside the Maverick XLT Tremor, the instrument cluster is a mix of analog dials and a small comprehensive digital information center. On top of the center stack is an eight-inch touchscreen driven for Ford’s SYNC 3 system. You also get Ford’s rotary shift knob and solid controls and switches in the center console.
The Maverick seats five using a multi-tone gray cloth upholstery with the Tremor name on the seatbacks. These seats are comfortable up front with manual adjustments for height, rake, and recline. There is some support in the front seats. Rear seat room is fine for average-sized adults with plenty of headroom to spare.
The Tremor package requires your Maverick to be powered by the 250-horsepower 2.0-liter turbocharged EcoBoost engine with the all-wheel drive system. An eight-speed automatic transmission is standard with this driveline.
In this tester’s configuration, our maximum tow rating was 2,000 pounds and with a payload rating of 1,500 pounds.
There is plenty of power to this driveline. It felt more at ease around town and on the highway. On snow and ice, click on the button to get inti Slippery mode for better traction from both axles. As for fuel economy, we averaged 22.8 MPG.
The ride quality of the Maverick is solid, especially with the all-terrain tires. The unibody construction does make the difference in terms of vehicular stability. Handling is quite good, as the Maverick corners well. There is a bit of lean and roll at the limit.
Even with all-wheel drive, there is a tighter steering radius than most pickup trucks. Response to the wheels is quite good and does not require a lot of turning to get to a tight spot. On-center feel is fine, with minimal play at the steering wheel. The brakes were also really good, exhibiting better results in normal, panic, and winter stops. Pedal feel was also quite good.
Pricing for the 2023 Ford Maverick starts from $22,195. There are still three trim levels and a choice if the Hybrid and EcoBoost engines. All-wheel drive is only available with the EcoBoost engine. Our XLT Tremor tester came with a sticker price of $33,305. The Tremor package is available on XLT and Lariat trim with all-wheel drive.
While everyone is trying to find a way to compete with the Maverick, only the Hyundai Santa Cruz continues to be the only vehicle that competes with it. Maybe in the next year or so there will be others that will join in what could be a growing segment.
In all, the Ford Maverick is what small pickup truck buyers want in terms of utility and versatility. Adding the Tremor package kicks its image up a notch. Are you ready to play?
Story Credits: CarSoup Editors
