Watch Ford Maverick Hybrid Carrying 850 Pounds Climb A Steep Grade Like A Boss

Ford’s new Maverick compact truck made waves in the truck market thanks to its fuel efficiency and relatively low cost. This affordable truck stands alone as the only small hybrid truck on the market promising efficiency and utility to customers who don’t need a larger vehicle. To prove that the Maverick’s utility isn’t just marketing buzz, one Ford Maverick owner tested his truck’s ability to haul a payload up a steep mountain pass.

Ford Maverick Hybrid owner and Youtuber jmc6000 loaded up his truck with an 850lb payload and aimed his vehicle at the top of a mountain pass. Lookout pass on I-90 crosses the border between Idaho and Montana with a steep 6% grade that puts any truck to the test. The Ford Maverick Hybrid in this video has no issue traversing this steep sustained climb over the Rocky Mountains. Before the climb, jmc6000 was averaging 35 mpg on the highway with his large payload of 850lbs. By the end of the ascent, fuel economy only dropped to 34mpg.

After reaching the top of the mountain pass, the Ford Maverick Hybrid could use its regenerative braking to recapture a considerable amount of energy. This unique capability means that, unlike other trucks, the Maverick can recuperate the extra power needed to climb a steep incline while on the descent. 

The Ford Maverick comes in two powertrain flavors. First, we have the headline-grabbing Ford Maverick Hybrid that only comes in front-wheel-drive. The Maverick Hybrid is powered by a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter inline-4 and single electric motor for a combined output of 191 horsepower (142 Kilowatts) and 155 lb-ft (210 Nm) of torque. The hybrid Maverick is a fuel-sipping marvel with ratings of 42 mpg in the city and 33 mpg on the highway for a combined 37 mpg.

For customers seeking a more powerful drivetrain, there’s the Maverick Ecoboost that offers optional all-wheel-drive. The Maverick Ecoboost is powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 that produces 250 hp (186 Kilowatts) and 277 lb-ft (375 Newton Meters) of torque. This powerful inline-4 is mated exclusively to an 8-speed automatic transmission.

Which Ford Maverick would you choose to own? Do you like the fuel-sipping Maverick Hybrid or the more powerful Maverick Ecoboost?