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Should Chevrolet Field A Ford Maverick Competitor?

  • Yes of course, I LUV the idea.

    Votes: 25 59.5%
  • No thanks.

    Votes: 6 14.3%
  • How about a compact El Camino EV?

    Votes: 11 26.2%

Does Chevy Need A Ford Maverick?

9K views 79 replies 34 participants last post by  AWHoden 
#1 · (Edited)
Breaking News: 01-11-22 - 1PM

North American Car, Truck and SUV of the Year: Civic, Maverick, Bronco

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The Detroit Free Press
January 10, 2022

Tire Wheel Automotive parking light Automotive side marker light Car

Photo Credit: Ford Motor Company


Norine Kingsbury, of Flint, was one of only six buyers to take home a 2022 Ford Maverick hybrid pickup in November — sort of like Veruca Salt getting a golden ticket to Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory.

She was one of the first in the whole country to get a coveted compact pickup.

"I can get into my vehicle and have enough room but don’t feel like a little child in a big man's toy," Kingsbury told the Free Press. "I bought it especially for winter driving in Michigan. I put the truck into snow mode, that's what it's called, snow mode, and it's just beautiful. I haven't gotten stuck or slipped or slid."

But this isn't a story of one woman. This is the story of one woman who's part of a movement that no one expected — not industry analysts or even Ford Motor Co.

Szott Ford in Holly called Kingsbury while the truck hauler was pulling up, the Maverick not yet unloaded. "I said I'd be over within the hour!" she said, laughing. The 47-year-old materials management specialist works at a hospital in Grand Blanc and drives the truck to work every day. At 5-foot-5, Kingsbury worries about upper body strength and she'd rather use her legs and hips. So she likes that she can lift garden dirt and boards into the truck at waist level instead of chest level.

In fact, she feels like this compact pickup is a perfect replacement for a small car. And this is music to the ears of Ford.

The Dearborn automaker sees three distinct groups buying the truck — female drivers, young drivers and retired drivers. Starting at just under $20,000 and getting 40 mpg, the vehicle is designed to compete with Honda and Toyota sedan offerings.

“Maverick is one of those big surprises for the industry that is only beginning, with sales turning on dealer lots in just four days," said Erich Merkle, U.S. sales analyst for Ford. "It brings a younger buyer from outside of the traditional pickup segment. From a value proposition, it can go head-to-head with passenger cars while offering fuel economy that is comparable to many compact sedans.”

The vehicle, which had no run-up to the reveal in June 2021 and launched in September, caught many in the industry by surprise. Even now, trying to track the thousands of Maverick posts on various social media platforms "is nearly impossible," said Dawn McKenzie, Ford truck communications manager.

"We have passionate customers for Ford trucks. We've never seen these communities pop up like they are around Maverick," she said. "The only thing that's close is what happened with Bronco, but that brewed for years."

Timing for the Maverick could not have been better planned, said Karl Brauer, executive analyst for ISeeCars.com, an internet search engine for new and used cars.

“At this point in time, you have people increasingly worried about economics -- we’ve had a lot of turbulence in last 18 months, a lot of job change,” he said.

“People aren’t as financially secure or confident. So to have a $20,000 starting-price vehicle with the level of functionality and flexibility and fuel efficiency that the Maverick provides is just hugely compelling. I think there’s a bit of a surprise and delight element here," Brauer said. "We haven’t seen a new truly compact truck for decades. The cost and size of full-size trucks makes them unusable for anyone living in a city. Even midsize trucks have gotten fairly large and expensive.”

Online marketplace sites independently confirm Maverick's strong appeal.

Interest in the Maverick actually highlights untapped needs and wants of consumers now, said Jessica Caldwell, executive director of insights at the Edmunds.com car shopping site.

"For years, automakers and consumers have embraced a 'bigger is better' mentality with trucks. As a result, prices have exploded, with many full-size truck prices rivaling those of luxury vehicles," she said. "But the reality is that many truck owners don't need the capability of a full-size truck."








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#7 ·
"Blockbuster" does not describe the success of the Maverick. People laughed when Ford said they were getting out of the car business. No one is laughing now......
They're still laughing. The success of the Maverick could have been combined with car offerings. There is still a market for cars. Those buyers are just forced to go to other companies.

But as for GM offering a truck smaller than the Colorado, sure, that could be a good idea.
 
#6 ·
I saw my first Maverick this week. It is a truck used by a snow removal company.

The big snowplows pass and after a team arrives with shovels to finish and clear the steps.

The company has gone from a full-size pickup truck to a Maverick. All that is in the bed of the truck is a few shovels and a bucket of sand (or salt).

They now have a truck that is cheaper to buy, uses less gas, and moves more easily through the narrow streets of old Montreal neighborhoods.
 
#8 ·
Sure GM should have a Mav competitor...as long as they offer a high MPG hybrid like the Mav. The +40MPG city available with the FWD Hybrid for $22K-25K (incl. destination), not as an expensive option, is what’s interesting to me anyway.

In truth I’d prefer a hybrid Trailblazer with +40MPG around town, $22K-25K, but if it took a 4ft bed to get it I’d be fine.

In all likelihood my next vehicle will be a Honda Civic or something like that (stick shift, thank you) since Ford doesn’t offer sedans/hatches any more and GM just has the Spark/Malibu.
 
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#12 ·
GM isn't going to invest the resources to build an ICE/Hybrid competitor at this point. If they do anything it'll be a BEV. I'd be surprised if they aren't at least looking at it, especially since it'll fit in very nicely with the new Hummer. Though, with them trying to shift everything to BEV, do they have the resources to create a Wrangler competitor AND move everything else to BEV? They might say "yes, we should do this, but it'll have to be farther down the road".

I wonder if we'd have seen this Maverick if Ford had followed the same timeline to go BEV as GM. I think GM was 2 or so years ahead of Ford in making the commitment - wouldn't surprise me if Ford would've canceled the ICE Maverick program to free up resources for the BEV transition.
 
#13 ·
I think the public is ready for a small pickup and GM could build something to compete with the Maverick. If GM plans to go all electric, then a small all electric Maverick fighter would be just the ticket.
There are people who may be laughing at Ford for producing the Maverick. In the long run, Ford may be the one who gets the last laugh.
 
#14 ·
I've seen quite a few in my area. They look like they're selling like free money. That's always a good way to go.
 
#20 ·
I said the Maverick was going to be a hit and it sure is. My friend's dad needed to replace his old S10. He ordered a Maverick. Other than size, the Maverick offers a tremendous value. I mean you can get a fuel sipping hybrid for not a lot of money.

If they aren't far along in development of a Maverick competitor, might as well make an EV version that could get like 250 miles of range and also keeps the cost down.
 
#28 ·
They could have used a small pickup like this, but as in many cases, GM is late to the party.
By the time they were to develop one and get it on sale, the market will have moved much more toward pure EV's.

If they want to profit off of one now...Start Development NOW, get a production-ready concept shown by the end of this year and start it on sale in less than 2 years from today...as a pure EV.
 
#39 ·
Maverick is selling because it is reasonably priced and hybrid. If it were all EV it wouldn't sell as well.
GM needs to do hybrids but they are too stupid to consider it.
But isn't the Hybrid delayed? Those may be selling but it the regular models that are being delivered and driven.
I for one am eyeing the Maverick and not a hybrid model. The size is right for my needs. The times I need more space I'll hitch up my utility trailer.
I simply don't want to daily drive more than I will ever need 98% of the time. Longer makes it more difficult to maneuver in traffic and park in lots.
And at least Ford offers something other than a black interior like the Colorado.
 
#45 ·
I’d rather GM keep focusing on EVs rather than following Ford into segments that have limited appeal and where GM will always play second fiddle if they do pursue.
Keep in mind that Ford completely dropped the ball in the fast growing subcompact SUV segment that GM has dominated from the start. Also, Ford continues to play catch-up with the full-sized SUV segment where GM also has a head start on electric versions with a platform ready to go.
 
#51 ·
Ford invested their resources on developing the Bronco and Maverick and that will work out pretty good for them now. GM invested their resources in developing a whole new electric platform and battery system that can be used to quickly develop different types of vehicles. With 25-30 new electric vehicles with very good real world range coming out in the next couple of years, I think GM has bet on the future and I think Ford may be the one playing catch up while they develop a similar system. If the platform is as versatile at GM has hinted, then bringing out an electric small pickup will be pretty easy and could probably be done pretty quickly. But I think GM's focus on getting popular electric SUV's and pickups out ASAP is the right way to go.
 
#55 ·
I think underestimating the appeal of the Maverick is akin to underestimating the appeal of CUV's. It is flexibility. In a single vehicle, you can accomplish many things without the shortcomings of sedans, and the shortcomings that full size SUV's and trucks have. GM was late on the CUV front, and seems to be non existent on the small truck front.

I have no doubts that they may come up with a EV small truck. However, by the nature of what they are doing, this will limit appeal and price considerations. So many, in the quest to EV everything, forget that for a large portion of the population, charging a vehicle at home or at work is a non starter. I always bring up my rural location as an example of what city dwellers never think of. We have an 8 bank Tesla charging station in town. Even on the busiest days, and my town is a destination, and a drive through to many other destinations, there are 3 cars charging at most. Few take the chance of bringing an electric up here. There are too many what ifs.
 
#68 ·
I saw a new Hyundai Santa Cruz yesterday while taking my mother to pick up an Olive Garden Take out order. I pointed it out to her and asked her what she thought of it. She said "it's nice, but it has a mighty small bed". Yeah it does. But it's not for those folks needing a real truck I told her. Also They have a Colorado crew cab ZR2 so they're used to a "smaller" bed than the Ford F250 LB Super Duty they traded on it. :) Edit: FWIW I like both the Maverick and the Santa Cruz but for slightly different reasons in each.
 
#79 ·
I'm with you. Some of the current crop of small EVs are called "SUVs" for marketing reasons but are really hatchbacks, like say the Ioniq 5.

 
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