Being boring is safe. It’s easy. It’s arguably why there is such little color in the automotive world — neutral tones are inoffensive. It’s why so many cars follow similar formulas. But to be bold, to be different — it’s a risk worth celebrating, which is why I’m so happy the “performance-tuned” Ford Maverick Lobo “Street Truck” is real and is looking to bring excitement to its slice of the automotive world.
On Wednesday I told you about the refreshed 2025 Ford Maverick and its new hybrid AWD option, headlights, and updated interior. Well, at the end of the presentation, Ford pulled a “one more thing” and asked everyone to step outside the Corktown venue to a fenced-in patio (with fake turf that generated a ridiculous amount of static electricity) to check out two Lobos. The Lobo, named after the Spanish term for “Wolf” (and also what the F-150 is called in Mexico, which, by the way was instrumental in starting what Ford calls the “lowered truck era that lasted from the mid-1980s to the early 2000s”) on the order guide slots in as two trim options between the XLT and the Lariat, with “standard” and “high” configuration options.
The Ultimate Building Block
During the unveiling, Ford Maverick Exterior Designer Joshua Blundo said street truck fans have been underserved for nearly two decades, but that ends with the Maverick Lobo. You may notice there is more than a passing similarity with the Tucci Hot Rods build at the 2021 SEMA show:
Blundo said his goal was for the SEMA build to use modifications that an enthusiast would.
Three years later, the passion for creativity carries over to the Lobo, which Blundo describes as the “ultimate building block.” Is it a street truck, autocross machine, or sporty daily driver? It could be all of those.
Turbofan Wheels And A Wavy Grille
From a visual perspective, the Lobo has a unique weave-pattern grille, standard Turbofan-styled rims, a unique lower fascia with Lobo-exclusive daytime running lights, and plenty of colorful flourishes. If, for some reason, you hate cassette-punk and fun, you can also opt for a black 19-inch painted non-turbofan aluminum rims. But why would you do that?
Color and Materials Designer Kristen Keenan said the seats use an “embossed pattern with a graffiti-inspired overprint” that’s a “nod to street style.” The truck also gets not one but two accent colors, Grabber Blue and Electric Lime. That stitching does pop against the black, overprint-textured seats.
Modified Hardware For Maximum Fun
You know when you have a really cool project, you can’t wait to show off to your friends for fellow enthusiasts? That was Keith Daugherty, Maverick Vehicle Integration Engineer. He said the Lobo’s performance group started with a Skunk Works-like team that got a hold of a pre-production model. They took their cues from mods and performance and suspension changes dedicated fans were already making.
“SuperCrew Advanced 4WD” is standard and the truck’s suspension is lowered by 0.5 inches in the front and 1.12 inches in the back for a more “athletic stance” thanks to stiffer springs that should help with handling.
For those looking for the hybrid, this is a strictly gas-powered affair. The Lobo, like all other 2025 EcoBoost-powered Mavericks, has 238 horsepower and 275-foot pounds of torque. To keep up with more spirited driving, there’s a transmission oil cooler, along with the larger radiator and fan from the standard truck’s 4K Tow Package. To soup up the braking, dual-piston calipers sourced from the European Focus ST are housed inside the sporty truck’s wheels. Daugherty said the team went with a more comfortable pad for use with everyday driving, but they anticipate anyone looking for more will find it easy enough to swap out in their driveway.
The brakes are apparently not the only part coming from overseas. The steering gear is cribbed from the Kuga SUV, as it has a faster steering ratio compared to the Escape, its American cousin. Strut mounts are out of the Mustang Mach-E, Ford says, and the mono-tubes from the FX4 and Tremor are going in as the rear dampers.
For those looking for a bit of engagement, there are paddle shifters. This is matched up with a 7-speed transmission that has been apparently “tuned for performance shifts.”
Last but not least is the secret weapon: a twin-pack rear drive unit from the Bronco Sport (and also Maverick Tremor) that allows for “true differential torque vectoring.” This gives the rear increased grip and the ability to “drive into that corner with the most stability and performance possible.” This can only be engaged in “Lobo Mode,” which alters the stability control. A “track use-only” message will display on the instrument cluster, similar to performance modes seen in cars like the Mustang.
Greater Than The Sum Of Its Parts Bin?
This truck isn’t for those craving maximum horses. If that’s your thing, Ford will be very happy to sell you a 700-horsepower F-150 with a 3.0L Whipple supercharger. The Lobo is for those yearning for the soul of a hot hatch (speed, space, fuel economy), reborn in in a shape that is palatable to Americans. (Because America has given up on, you know, actual hatchbacks).
Do you want to be able to pick your kids up from soccer practice, throw their bikes in the bed, and then hit up your local mall’s parking lot for autocross on the weekend? This is the truck for you. If this were an RPG, the towing stats would be turned down slightly, with the leftover experience points going into the “cool” and “pep” categories on the spider chart [Ed Note: Apparently this is a video game reference. I’ll leave it in so as not to contaminate voice, but I don’t know what it means. -DT]. Per Ford’s technical specifications, the Lobo has the lowest payload capacity of all Mavericks at 1,045 pounds, down 95 pounds from the Tremor. Towing is also capped at 2,000 pounds, and, like the Tremor, it too is excluded from the 4K Tow Package.
(Note: There’s no info on whether the Lobo’s fuel economy is significantly different than the 25 MPG combined we saw from the outgoing AWD EcoBoost Maverick. I bet it’s similar).
If this is your cup of Baja Blast, the Standard configuration starts at $35,000 (MSRP) with all the same features of the XLT and the other add-ons mentioned above. Your choice of colors is Carbonized Gray Metallic, Oxford White, Shadow Black, and Velocity Blue. If you’re looking for a bit more luxury, the High Configuration goes for $40,495 and adds:
- Heated steering wheel and seats
- Ford Co-Pilot360 2.0 driver-assist technologies
- 360-degree camera system
- Spray-in Bedliner
- Moon roof
- Pro Trailer Hitch Assist and Pro Trailer Backup Assist
Per Ford, the High Configuration is available for order starting today, August 1, with the rest of the Maverick order bank. The Standard Configuration will be available for order in late 2024. The first Lobo deliveries are slated for early 2025.
Some more images of the Lobo:
I want to see these wheels powdercoated white for full rally affect.
Yes!!!!!!
The reason I love this truck is that it’s honest. We don’t drive offroad much. Why not embrace that. This truck does, and in a good way. The Subaru Brat existed. This can too. I bet this is just the first of many to come.
Top Gear used to complain that the Nurburgring was ruining performance cars becasue they were being tuned for a sort of driving that no one actually did.
I think the same is true of pickups. We are ruining the utility of pickups pretending they are offroaders.
With this truck being lowered, the bed is nice and low and easy to access. No need for any of the gimmicky ladders and stairs needed on the raised trucks.
Seems very weird to me. Maybe I’m wrong, but weren’t the lowered trucks primarily used for cruising at very low speeds down boulevards? I guess if you want to go from doing 10 mph down a wide road on Saturday night and then straight out to the autocross track on Sunday morning, then this is your vehicle?
It is pretty cool that they’d actually make something like this, though. And what the hell. It’s lower than most other trucks, so maybe I’ll actually be able to see the CHMSLs on the cars ahead of me when I’m behind one on the freeway.
Holy shit this. I am sending you the biggest digital high five I can.
This isn’t slammed, just a little lower than the standard Maverick.
I would have liked a small bump in power but honestly, the aftermarket can easily take care of that. This is great and the MSRP isn’t astronomical. I really want this to start a trend of smaller street trucks, I hope GM and Toyota aren’t far behind with their versions
Ill bet there will be a ford racing tune or package that will give a power bump, and give some piece of mind to anyone with voided warranty reservations.
I’m glad this exists. In a perfect world they would’ve included a manual but thats a big ask these days.
This is not for me.
I like that it exists, I love hot hatches, but this doesn’t appeal to me at all.
Pretty cool. At first I was like “why doesn’t this have more power” but I’d be willing to bet that this is a small taste before they eventually give us a Maverick Raptor…and for a long time I’ve said that for that they should literally just throw the Focus RS powertrain in that, manual included. We’ll see what happens.
I’m curious as to what transmission is in this. I believe the regular ecoboost Maverick has an 8 speed so this is something different…which is good because in vintage Ford fashion that transmission is overstressed from the factory and will probably blow up if subjected to prolonged spirited driving.
All in all I’d say this is cool, but I’d still trade it to have the performance Focuses alive in the US.
I doubt we’ll see a Maverick Raptor. Being a unibody doesn’t tend to mesh with the existing Raptors’ (F-15, Ranger, and Bronco) ethos of higher-speed off-roading. The Tremor package is already pretty good for what the truck is capable of.
That said, yes, it would be fun if they put a more potent power plant under the hood for a special edition model. But considering the Lobo High is already over $40K they’re running out of room inside the market cap for potential buyers.
To me, the Maverick Raptor would be street only. I love lowered pickups for some reason. You can design it to be lowered and still haul lots of stuff in the back. I’ve only needed truck ground clearance like… once in my life. I can’t be the only one.
OK, so you mean a Maverick RS, then, since Raptor is off-road focused? That would be great. Call it the Lobo RS, just to push the new trim branding.
yeah, exactly. Let the framed guys do jumps, let this one do laps.
I maintain that most people who want to use their pickup for hauling stuff would be much better served with lower load floors instead of extra ground clearance. While lower than the standard Maverick, this is still plenty of clearance for most people. You could hit logging roads and the like with no problem. I’ve definitely run some pretty rough roads with less ground clearance.
Precisely! And, extremely good point on load height, which I completely forgot about, and it’s very important to daily use.
That’s what height adjustable air suspension is for. The best of both worlds.
My Pickup has them, and it’s awesome. But, I can’t lower more than the stock leafs, as mine are helpers.
I’ve been spoiled by an LR3 in the family. It’s quite nice.
I’ve needed the ground clearance countless times, but never off road.
Where I normally live there’s no standard for the speed bumps in parking lots, and no standard for the sidewalk ramps that you use to transition from public roads to parking lots. I’ve scraped regular cars on them regularly. Ik someone with a regular 928 who teeter tottered it on one of the speed bumps.
In the winter with deep snow the extra ground clearance is appreciated.
That being said the Maverick is really the only vehicle I have seen a personal use case for lowering, that being lower deck height and better aerodynamics. Personally I’d put it on air bags so I’m not always stuck with low ground clearance.
This still has more ground clearance than a lot of cars. Looking at over 7″ of clearance.
7″ is my minimum unless I’m getting great MPG from it and it’s a rare car (1st Gen Honda Insight).
I’m not sure where the lowest point on these is, but the standard is 8.3″ clearance, so the half inch drop and 1.1″ drop means 7.2-7.8″ of clearance.
That F-15 really goes off road.
Ha! Pesky typos.
The F-15 Eagle is a raptor, though, so without context I guess my typo was still sort of correct?
It’s the 8F35 modified with 2nd gear deleted.
Contrary to what other commenters are saying about there never being a Maverick Raptor due to the unibody construction, I point said commenters to the 2CV.
Does payload capacity include the weight of passengers?
Yes.
That would be me because the only thing I hate more than having fun is seeing other people have fun.
Turbofan wheels!!!!
Only available in black, white, gray, and blue.
Sigh…
Yeah, but at least it’s a nice blue.
Maybe they expect a lot of buyers to put a wrap or graphics on them?
If they’d kept the yellow, that would have been my choice for this one. The blue looks good, at least.
Sadly Cyber Yellow was a first year only color, IIRC. Great color, too.
Though if I’m buying a Maverick it’d almost certainly be Eruption Green. Mmmmmmmm, greeeeeeeeeen.
First two years, but with the limited supply, that’s still not a lot.
If they hadn’t messed up with the HVAC controls, I would be ordering an Eruption Green Lariat right now. It’s a great color.
This truck needs a ’90s turquoise color, with magenta graphics…
Can we stop putting fog lights on everything?
Fun fact: the first generation Maverick didn’t even come with fog lights as an option.
One of the most popular accessories among Maverick owners is adding a front fog light kit. The trim piece at the bottom front corner of the first-gen trucks even seemed designed for an (unused) fog lamp provision.
Ford is smart to offer a factory option for a popular aftermarket addition.
I’d also prefer they come from the factory. At least there’s a chance they won’t be aimed directly at oncoming drivers this way.
Im convinced that at this point, they add the ‘midcycle refresh’ points into the initial year. Foglight provisions, and the little cubby so they can add a bigger screen with minimal dash reworking.
Generally yeah, multiple generations tend to be planned out during R&D.
I love that this exists, good to see manufacturers taking risks
Agreed. I would never own a street truck, but I want this to be successful and respect the heck out of it.
It won’t be a true “new hot hatch” until someone puts a giant fart can exhaust on it.
That said, something with a bit of fun and not hellishly expensive? Is that allowed by car manufacturers?
And decals. Lots and lots of decals.
What is the height and width of it, because it might be automatically banned from SCCA street classes if the COG is too high. Also while it’s probably fun to chuck one around a parking lot, I wouldn’t sell people on it being competitive.
Ford goes through all that effort to make awesome turbofan wheels then ruins them by painting them black.
They can be easily painted a different color, though.
I dig it, and still waiting on Chevy and Dodge to respond. Especially Chevy as they have the Montana they already sell elsewhere. Hyundai could totally do this with a Santa Fe, it already has some new school B.R.A.T. vibe going, they could lower it, throw some neon color graphics on the C Pillar sail and call it good.
Also RPG isn’t just video games, it’s Role Playing Game could be tabletop like Dungeons and Dragons where you have your character stats with various values, like David would be maxed out on ability to use rusty swords. But I believe the proper reference would be reduced constitution for charisma, nerd.
It’s the spider chart that is more videogame specific. While you could create a tabletop game with a spider chart, it would be pretty unwieldy and unintuitive, because it is good for visually depicting stats that are running in the background, but far less so for stats you are referencing and using.
I’m a definite nerd, and I have shelves full of RPG systems I don’t get to play often enough.
Ah he did specify spider chart, I got hung up on experience points. I am also fairly nerd but more mmorpg not regular, stats in MMOs get weird.
This truck is the modern version of early 90s lowered trucks. My dad used to own a 91 GMC Sonoma that the suspension was lowered, he put 80s camaro wheels, a big ass sound system, remote start, flowmaster on the exhaust that sounded great with the V6 engine.
My dad never pardon my mom when she sold the truck because gas prices were getting higher and it wasnt appropriate for us to take it to college.
By the way, Lobo nameplate is used in Mexico for the F150.
Lobo mode is “for track use only”?? That’s a bit much. I don’t know, I like but don’t love the Maverick, and this one just makes no sense to me. I guess I get the desire for a “street truck” but this is a miss in my book.
Clearly I’m in the minority though so y’all have fun!
No, you are both right and wrong. There is enough space. This shouldn’t exist, but so awesomely does.
That’s true. It’s unique, and so I need to applaud its existence, even if it’s something that appeals to me about as much as an ingrown toenail.
I’m with you too.
Minitruck culture is so far from my wheelhouse that I have no idea if this is good or bad, but it appears to be a good-faith attempt at something interesting, so good job Ford.
The more niches that can be made happy the better. These trim packages and options overlap between markets and niches. I applaud them at utilizing the parts bin. It’s something that should happen more often. I mean, the GMC Typhoon would not exist without it, and we LOVE them today.
I’m with you in that minority I guess. I’m not a truck guy, and while I can certainly appreciate them, it’s for their being trucks, not trucks pretending to be cars. This is certainly better than a lot of them (like SRT Jeeps) but I’ve never understood the whole “take a design made for something and use a ton of resources to make it do something else” thing, rather than simply starting with the right design for the intended purpose.
But to each their own, and I’m sure this will sell well. Love the wheels – hope when (if) Ford makes cars again, they might stick around!
When lawyers get involved, expect disclaimers.
I get that, but on this it’s just a gimmick. Something to make people feel cool driving it to the grocery store.
I’m not reading that they’re using GPS or anything to know when you’re at a ‘track’, so say you ended up on a quiet curvy backroad and accidentally bumped the Lobo button.., oops!
Don’t worry, the Karens will ban it and they’ll push an OTA update that makes it so it will deactivate if it sees speed limit signs.
sounds like a job for black electrical tape! Most Ford owners should be familiar with that and it’s uses 😀
Of course, only the most expensive version is going to available now. Mo’ money, mo’ money …
I wish they’d fill the desire for hot hatches by bringing over the Puma ST.
Regardless, I like the wheels. Hopefully they be an available option on normal hybrid Mavericks.
I’d be happy with the regular Puma even. If we have to have crossovers, I’d like mine smaller and lower, not to mention with a manual.
Maybe it’s just me, but other than being blue, I don’t see any resemblance at all to the Tucci build. It’s not even the same blue.
I noticed that, too, but for a limited-production vehicle that has to share an assembly line with its brethren it makes sense for what it is.
Sarah -N-Tuned is going to be so excited over this.
Five penguins.
Whoever thought those headlights (with the bumper flowing upwards) was an improvement, needs to be shot. The Maverick wasn’t fantastic looking, but they’ve managed to make it look worse.
Yeah, especially in that blue where you can’t help but see the bumper line that flows into the lower interior of the headlights. I thought the old design was handsome enough, in an inoffensive way, but the more I look at the new headlights, the more I dislike them.
I was initially with you on this, but the more pictures I see, I kinda dig it. Also, it’s nice to see someone making front end changes on a truck that don’t equate to “make the grill bigger!!!!!”.
But the changes make the grille look bigger, especially in this Lobo trim.
I just don’t know how anyone can look at the ’25 and think it’s visually better styled than the ’22-’24.
It looks like a gecko licking its eyes.
I like both versions. I liked the big headlamp assemblies of the first generation, but there was also a fair amount of unused space. Now the turn signals are on the sides which I think is an improvement, and all models will have their headlamps fill their entire section when on. Plus more color isn’t a bad thing.
At least it doesn’t look constipated or fake-aggressive like we’re seeing from gm, Toyota, and Nissan.
Even functionally it is bad. They got openings on the lower bumper for air. The stupid plastic insert should have just been all grill and they could have deleted the lower air openings.
This thing is so awesome I can’t believe it’s real. I kept reading waiting for the catch, some kind of joke that would tip me off to the satire or “this is a showcase of what you can do with a Mav and is not intended for production”. But nope, they’re selling it for Camry money.
I agree with all of what you said except expect $20,000 “Market Adjustment Fees” on top of the sticker. But, yes, this is pretty sweet.
Well knowing now from Matt’s article that it’s possible to order through Galpin that markup issue might be moot.
If they don’t sell your order out from under you to someone else for a massive markup…
Ditto, this thing is awesome and it’s about time it exist.
That said, I feel like this is one major nail in the sedan coffin. This is a car thing, but I also love it on trucks. This is something I want to do to my 94 Toyota Pickup.
If you put a hard one-piece hinged tonneau cover on it, it’s almost a sedan. *shrug*