Maybe it’s because I’m a child of the early 2000s, but I absolutely love a street truck. If you don’t live anywhere near proper trails but need a compact truck, why not go for one that looks sweet? Color-keyed cladding, alloy wheels, maybe a little drop. Think Chevrolet S-10 Xtreme and Dodge Dakota R/T. While the segment’s been presumed dead for ages, the Ford Maverick Lobo is single-handedly bringing it back.
On paper, it seems like an intriguing alternative to the Subaru WRX. An all-wheel-drive turbocharged machine with sports suspension, a trick differential, and a distinct air of nu metal. However, by adding some performance hardware, it loses some of its mulch-hauling capability. So, is the tradeoff worth it? I spent a week in one to find out.
[Full disclosure: Ford Canada let me borrow this Maverick Lobo for a week so long as I kept the shiny side up, returned it reasonably clean with a full tank of fuel, and reviewed it.]
The Basics
Engine: Two-liter twin-cam 16-valve turbocharged intercooled inline-four.
Transmission: Seven-speed torque converter automatic.
Drive: Full-time all-wheel-drive with torque vectoring rear differential.
Output: 250 horsepower at 5,500 RPM, 277 lb.-ft. at 3,000 RPM.
Fuel Economy: 21 MPG city, 30 MPG highway, 24 MPG combined (11.2 L/100km city, 7.8 L/100km highway, 9.7 L/100km combined)
Base Price: $37,775 including freight ($44,395 in Canada).
Price As-Tested: $43,270 including freight ($50,395 in Canada).
Why Does It Exist?
It feels cliché to say, but the Ford Maverick really did break the internet when it came out. A proper compact truck for America at a reasonable price with turbocharged or hybrid power, it’s no wonder it had a huge waitlist at launch. Striking with the ink barely dry, Tucci Hot Rods then built a Maverick street truck for the SEMA show in 2021, slamming it to the ground on turbofan wheels and giving it a proper body kit. It basically reignited the street truck craze in popular car culture, and the Lobo is Ford taking that idea in-house.
How Does It Look?
As far as modern street truck visuals go, the Maverick Lobo goes hard. It’s almost like Ford looked at the Tucci SEMA truck and enacted a mandate of “don’t change anything unless you absolutely have to.” Although the fluted vertical grillework won’t be to everyone’s tastes, the color-keyed bumpers and skirts put in overtime work on this trucklet. Oh, and I haven’t even mentioned the turbofan-look wheels, which seem to have burst to life straight out of an ’80s fever dream. Someone call Derek Zoolander, because this thing’s really, really ridiculously good-looking.
What About The Interior?
Slide behind the wheel of Ford’s smallest street truck, and you’ll find generally the same hardwearing interior as the standard Maverick, but with a few choice alterations. Firstly, check out the lime-and-blue stitching on the Lobo. That’s pretty swish, the sort of thing exotic carmakers would charge exorbitant sums for. At the same time, some of the light trim you’d find on a mid-range XLT model has been strategically darkened, with the most noticeable change being the console insert going from blue to black. It all adds up to a rather tasteful package, and one that comes with all the benefits of a regular Maverick.
We’re talking exceptionally comfortable seats, loads of interior storage, more rear seat space than in many midsize trucks, and solid visibility. A power-sliding rear window and sunroof on my tester really opened up the cabin for flow-through breezes, and the result is a pleasant place to watch the miles tick by.
How Does It Drive?
Even though the Maverick Lobo gets the same sort of two-liter, 250-horsepower turbocharged inline-four offered in every other Maverick, it does get some proper performance hardware downstream of it. We’re talking about a proper torque vectoring rear differential, bigger brakes, reworked steering, and a new suspension package that drops the little truck lower to the Earth. However, if you were expecting this hunkered-down Maverick to be a Subaru WRX competitor, you’d be mistaken.
For one, there’s the gearbox. Ford’s effectively locked a ratio out of its eight-speed automatic to create a quick-shifting seven-speed, and while that’s all well and good, the paddle shifters are merely a suggestion at times. You simply cannot force it to downshift into first until a comically low speed, below 10 MPH. On the other end of the spectrum, the gearbox will automatically upshift at redline in manual mode. Not optimal, especially if you find yourself in a position to use the Maverick’s “Lobo Mode.” Basically, it’s a drive mode that puts the torque vectoring rear differential to work, relaxes the stability control, and calls up more aggressive gearbox mapping. Unfortunately, it also pipes in some loud, hilariously mismatched fake V8-sounding engine noises. Come on, Ford.
Credit where credit’s due, the Maverick Lobo does remain remarkably level in the bends, but it’s also severely limited by its tire choice. We’re talking 680-treadwear highway tires that roll quietly, but give up early and often when the pace picks up. Combine that with steering that’s seriously heavy and less feelsome than you get in a standard Maverick, and the result just isn’t a big boost of fun. On the plus side, the on-road experience is fairly comfortable, but so is a standard Maverick, which can be optioned to tow 2,000 pounds more and haul 455 pounds more than the Lobo.
Does It Have The Electronic Crap I Want?
Depending on how deep your pockets go, largely. This high-series Maverick Lobo came rather well-equipped, with some weird exceptions. On the one hand, you get a real list of gadgets. A 360-degree camera system, a multi-stage heated steering wheel, trailer back-up assistance that turns the truck and trailer in the same direction you turn a dashboard-mounted knob, a big infotainment screen, a digital cluster, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a litany of USB-C and three-pin household sockets, push-to-start, that sort of stuff. However, the rearview mirror is of the old-school lever-flip day/night variety, and the power windows only have auto-down, not auto-up. Slightly nicer switches would’ve cost what, a few extra cents? Hard to justify in a base Maverick, but at this price level, surely an exception can be made.
My loaded Lobo test truck also came with the optional eight-speaker B&O sound system, which is very loud. Is it very good? No, but it’s loud enough to cave in your neighbor’s front window. Plenty of volume, warm bass, but poor overall imaging with noticeable distortion. There’s definitely an increase in performance over the base sound system, but it’s amazing Bang & Olufsen’s willing to brand this with its initials.
Three Things To Know About The 2026 Ford Maverick Lobo
- There’s some interesting hardware in addition to those magazine-good looks.
- It takes a serious towing and payload hit over a regular model.
- Don’t expect it to be massively more engaging than a standard Maverick.
Does The Ford Maverick Lobo Fulfil Its Purpose?
Sort of. The Ford Maverick Lobo is a weirdly compromised thing. It can’t be optioned with the 4,000-pound towing package you can get on most other models, it takes a substantial payload capacity hit, and its performance features just don’t feel fully fleshed out. It’s neat to see Ford take a swing at this, but I can’t help but get the feeling that the Lobo would’ve made more sense as an appearance package, because its best asset is its rakish visual package. At an as-tested price of $43,270, if you’re looking for an engaging yet reasonably practical daily driver, a Hyundai Elantra N, Subaru WRX, or Volkswagen Golf GTI is probably more in your wheelhouse. Likewise, if you’re looking to do trucky stuff, a Maverick XLT EcoBoost AWD with the 4K Tow Package is less expensive and probably a better pick. An extra 455 pounds of payload capacity goes a long way.
What’s The Punctum Of The Ford Maverick Lobo?
It looks great, but the performance-lite treatment doesn’t go far enough to justify the Maverick Lobo’s capability compromises.
Top graphic image: Thomas Hundal
Needs an actual, full RS version, full stop.
How soon before a police package the Sheriff Lobo arrives on the market? 🙂 No doubt the original show was riding the coattails of the duke boys and smokey ampersand the bandit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hEwzzxpljM
the comically low 2,000 pound tow rating kills the lobo for me Also the tremor has the same limitation. i’ll take the xlt or lariat is best.
Would love to see one in white with those wheels in white to match. For a full on 80s look.
Fwd 6 speed for $35k, Maverick ST. Just do it.
Can we talk about how much of a sellout B&O has become in the automotive space? I recently heard their product in a modern Explorer and it was shockingly lackluster, especially when considering the brand’s long history. Harmon has gobbled up a bunch of brands in the automotive space and generally diluted performance across the board.
At least Bowers and Wilkins are still carrying the audiophile flag. Whenever I’m in a modern Volvo with a B&W system, I’m reminded of how great car audio can be.
Take off, in Canada this truck should be called LeFleur, eh?
Glad it exists, but at $43K this is not remotely appealing to me.
Dear sir. Power windows. I dont want express up. That is a nice way for kids to get seriously injured
Isn’t this is what the auto-reverse feature is designed to prevent?
if you trust it. do all brands reverse well?
You really need your Power Windows to have an emotion detector as well as auto-reverse
That would indeed bring the Big Money.
They should do a Ranger Lobo, bring it closer to the ground where it needs to be instead of all high and mighty and awkward looking up there.
C’mon now, everybody know that the best Maverick is a 1971 Maverick Grabber with the 302 in it.
The best Maverick is the XLT Hybrid, with 1 or 2 option boxes ticked, in a nice color, at it’s introductory MSRP. If I could have test driven an obtained one (blue? moonroof?) then I’d probably be driving one now. But that window passed.
As someone who has a XL hybrid, i wholeheartedly agree. In hindsight the cost delta was not that great
Putting aside my antipathy towards Ford and its products following the semi-fictional $21K price/availability of the original hybrid XL Maverick, this is nice looking, but to me, not worth the $44K they want for it (plus whatever the dealer tacks on to that number). Also, since so much of this Lobo stuff is largely cosmetic, it’s a shame that it’s not just offered as an option package applicable to both Maverick drivetrains (including the hybrid). I’ve seen Lobos in person in LA, and the wheels are the nicest bit IMO.
I still think the Maverick is a good size and good idea… it’s just a shame that it was Ford who brought such a thing to market, considering their usual MO.
No idea if/when we’ll see a similar trucklet from Toyota such as the long-rumored Stout, and of course, Toyota dealers are as bad as Ford dealer when it comes to dealer markups and add-ons, but if Toyota does eventually make something like that… it’d be the one to have if you’re buying instead of leasing IMO.
I have one the mythical XL Hybrids that cost me $22k all in. I placed my deposit and waited 11months for it to arrive. After 4 years with vehicle, I’ve appreciated it for what it is. However, I find the Maverick. A great vehicle up to the low $30K threshold. Beyond that the market has better alternatives at that price.
I really like the appearance and ethos of the Lobo but the price is on the top end and smack dab in better vehicle territory
I’m jealous that you got to buy an XL hybrid for MSRP, and of course I completely agree that in the low $20Ks it’s a deal, but at $30K+ not so much. 🙂
What color did you get?
Area 51.
The best one. 🙂
If they locked the paddle shifters to force a shift to respond immediately – whether it makes sense or not (and keep you from money-shifting) would go a very long way to making this more engaging.
The hesitancy of paddle shifters in most mass-market vehicles seems a really odd decision on trying to express sportiness if they’re not going to give you a third pedal and let you do stupid things.