What you’re looking at is the only new pickup truck on sale that behaves like a Subaru. This wee Ford is an economical, compact, car-based 4×4 with enough ground clearance and off-road chops to stand against actual trucks. The Maverick is the anti-testosterone pickup that came out for 2022 with a four-cylinder hybrid and teensy tow ratings. That didn’t bother anyone who wanted a small truck they could drive and park without a CDL. But now, the new Tremor is bringing more toughness for any remaining buyers on the fence between this and the Hyundai Santa Cruz, or a mid-size truck like the Ranger and Toyota Tacoma.
Ford loaned me an Avalanche gray Maverick Tremor over the holiday break, so while this is a first drive, it’s not a first drive program unless you count my cul-de-sac home in Connecticut as a riveting travel destination. The plain truth about the Tremor is that its specs won’t shatter anyone’s expectations like Ford’s 700-hp F-150 Raptor R or the affectionately-named “Braptor” that has Bronco owners salivating to look even more ridiculous than they do now. The Tremor doesn’t have the Fox shocks and locking rear differential you’ll find on the bigger Ranger Tremor. It sure doesn’t have the 5.0-liter V-8 stuffed into the F-150 Tremor. It’s simply the pickup truck version of the Bronco Sport Badlands.
2.0-Liter Turbo-Four
Like the most rugged little Bronco, the Maverick Tremor borrows the 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four, twin-clutch rear differential, all-terrain Falken Wildpeak tires, and extra driving modes. Specifically, the Tremor’s all-wheel drive system can be locked so the rear wheels always receive power (instead of the variable split on the regular Maverick) and the rear differential acts like a locker (able to send full torque independently to either wheel).
It’s not a true locking differential, which use a set of gears to split torque. The clutch mechanism controls slip, making it more akin to mechanical torque vectoring axles found on sporty passenger cars. Given how the Maverick is a car-based truck, the approach of this lightweight, light-duty axle makes the most sense. Unlike a locker, it also won’t drag the rear wheels when turning on pavement. Even with the axle engaged, the Tremor shifts power seamlessly.
So does the turbo engine and eight-speed automatic transmission, which are a considerable upgrade (250 horsepower and 277 pound-feet of torque) from the naturally-aspirated hybrid found in base trims. The Maverick punches just as hard as a BMW X3 or any number of premium compact SUVs. The transmission is fast-reacting and always smooth without relying on paddle shifters or a sport mode. It would leave a V6 Tacoma and all of Ford’s old small cars like the Focus and Fiesta for dead.
The Maverick’s ride is better than we remember in any Focus and entirely unperturbed by the Tremor’s aggressive tires, one-inch lift or the more pliable springs and shocks. A transmission oil cooler and tougher half shafts build upon the higher-capacity radiator, larger engine cooling fan and front tow hooks found in the FX4 Off-Road Package, which until now was the best Maverick for trail running.
The driving modes for sand and mud/ruts carry over to the Tremor’s bag of electronic tricks. Payload is reduced slightly to 1200 pounds versus the 1500 pounds on other 2.0-liter models, while towing is maxed out at 2000 pounds (the 4000-pound tow package is unavailable on Tremor).
2023 Ford Maverick Tremor Off-Road Cred
The Tremor’s off-road creds read like this: 9.4 inches of ground clearance, 30.7 degrees of approach, 22.2 degrees breakover, and a 19.9-degree departure. A lifted Subaru Forester Wilderness can match or best everything but the Tremor’s approach, and its all-wheel drive system is legendary. So while the Tremor is a rugged little guy, it’s not going to bathe in mud or hop rocks like a Tacoma TRD Pro or a Nissan Frontier Pro-4X. Next to a Santa Cruz, the Tremor’s a Humvee, which may be the only thing that counts.
The orange stitching and decals on the front seats might as well say FedEx instead of Tremor. The cabin is a plasticized frenzy of hard, cheap surfaces (reminder: this is how Ford got away with a $23,000 base price, which in the truck market is nothing short of exceptional). The seats are comfortable and supportive. There isn’t much wind or tire noise. That all helps shift your attention away from the tiny touchscreen with the weird cutout in the mounting frame, the door pulls with the big gap between the armrest and the window switches or the rotary shifter that perpetually twists past the “P” and “D” selections without any physical stop. This is a work truck.
On my $33,985 XLT example, my Tremor had a physical ignition key. The Lariat adds more niceties, such as heated front seats, but also costs thousands more. The Tremor’s graphics on the hood, bed and door sills also cost more as part of an appearance package, though the special 17-inch wheels with the single orange spoke, the orange-outlined grille strip and orange tow hooks are all standard.
The Maverick Tremor is built for light work and correspondingly must come with light expectations. That’s totally fine. Not every pickup needs to crawl in Moab or jump dunes at triple-digit speeds. This is the perfect truck for cities and around-town jaunts that also offers some extra capability for everyday situations (the hard truth for most truck owners is admitting they never use their trucks to do any real work). The Subaru Baja isn’t built anymore, so consider the Maverick Tremor its only modern successor.
