The Mini Truck is Back?
By: Tyler R. June 14, 2021
Pickup trucks have been a staple in the automotive industry ever since it’s inception. It seems that since the humble utility vehicles first came about, they have only been getting bigger in size. Now, internationally, the merit of small trucks has been long-standing. Japan specifically has long been producing small vehicles, trucks included, with their “Kei” (pronounced “kay”) class vehicles powered by motors 660cc and lower. But for the rest of the world, the definition of a mini truck brings to mind the classic Datsun/ Nissan pickup.
While it’s no secret that fuel efficiency has driven a lot of automotive decisions over the last half-century. The question of course these days is whether or not people are willing to sacrifice their hulking trucks for something smaller. Ford Motor Company recently announced their contribution to this market of small trucks by reviving the old Maverick namesake. With a hybrid powerplant coming standard, this mini truck will bring efficiency and utility to the modern automotive world.
From the official Ford website, it is hard to truly tell the size of this new vehicle. For the longest time, the Ranger was Ford’s answer to the “small” truck market despite it and other models of similar stature being called mid-sized. With this in mind, will other automakers follow suit? Will we see Nissan bring back a utility vehicle smaller than the current Frontier?
The one thing we can be certain about is that Ford aims to be competitive. For those of us who want the utility of a pickup but without the, honestly frightening, cost of a new mid or full-size truck; the Maverick is looking like a viable option. With a MSRP just north of $19k, this compact truck is sure to make some waves. Ford seems to understand that not everyone needs a half or ¾ ton truck. The consumer market loved the Ranger for it’s efficiency plus utility compared to it’s full-sized counterparts. As someone who used to commute for work while having hobbies like cycling and woodworking; I would have loved having a bed to put bikes and lumber in instead of crowding the back seat and trunk space of my Jetta.
We could very well be on the verge of a mini truck come back with the Maverick. As history often repeats itself, if the Maverick does well, the automotive industry will respond, and more automakers will bring competition to the table. Ford has been doing some forward-thinking with it’s moves in the last few years. With the newest iterations of the Bronco, the Mach-E, and now the Maverick compact truck, who knows what Ford will come up with next.
