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Ford is on a killing spree. Nearly three years after its debut, people are still clambering to get their hands on the Ford Bronco. The Ford Ranger sparked wild interest among small pickup truck lovers. The 2022 Ford Maverick is on pace to show all of them up. The Ford Maverick has already outsold the Ranger and has more than doubled the Hyundai Santa Cruz sales in Q1. 

Comparing the 2022 Ford Maverick truck with the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz
The 2022 Ford Maverick truck parked on a colorful street | Ford

2022 Ford Maverick price and specs

The 2022 Maverick is a small pickup truck that is packed with piles of strange and unique style cues and features. The Maverick has two engine options, a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder making 250 hp and a hybrid 2.5-liter four-cylinder making 191 hp. The hybrid powertrain couldn’t have come any sooner. This engine is a major aspect of the Maverick’s popularity. 

The Maverick’s most compelling factor is the price. The 2022 Ford Maverick starts at the alarmingly cheap MSRP of $19,995. If you go with the Maverick XLT AWD, the price can run up to about $30k. For that little money, a truck this capable is hard to resist. In fact, so many people couldn’t resist it that Ford closed the ordering for the Maverick last week. 

How popular is the Hyundai Santa Cruz?

The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz is a small truck, but its off-road capability may be compromised.
2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz | Hyundai

According to The Drive, the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz sold 8,400 units during Q1. The Hyundai Santa Cruz is a small, unibody pickup truck with interesting and efficient power options paired with dramatically short truck beds like the Ford Maverick. These two models are bringing the ute/lifestyle truck to the forefront for the first time since people could buy El Caminos new. 

Despite the Santa Cruz’s similar style and delightfully quirky look, the Maverick utterly destroyed the Hyundai in Q1 sales. The 2022 Ford Maverick closed Q1 orders after securing 19,245 sales. That is more than double what Hyundai could move. 

How popular is the 2022 Ford Ranger? 

One thing about Ford is it’s going to sell some pickup trucks. Ford sold 17,639 Rangers for Q1, which is actually down by 27 percent year-over-year. That deficit could be explained by the growing midsize pickup truck segment, or it could be just the Ford Maverick’s dominance. 

The Ranger is far more traditional than the Maverick or the Santa Cruz. On the one hand, the Ranger’s size and capability make some traditional truck fans more comfortable. On the other hand, now that Ford makes an even smaller and more friendly pickup truck, it seems many potential Ranger buyers have gone the way of the Maverick. It also doesn’t help the 2022 model out when people know a newly updated version is incoming. 

When will the 2022 Ford Maverick be available again? 

The Drive points out that Ford essentially locked in demand for the Maverick when it closed orders for the summer. This was smart for two reasons: Ford now has time to catch up on backlogged orders, and that new customers aren’t likely to see a Maverick at dealerships anytime soon, making the odd random used one a hot commodity indeed.

Ford has yet to confirm how long these books will remain closed, but don’t be surprised if books open after a long summer of competitive buying and wild dealer markups on the rare, used model. The Ford Maverick has the markings of another Ford Bronco-esque supply and demand situation. 

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Peter Corn

Peter Corn joined MotorBiscuit as an Autos Writer in 2020 and brings his quippiest Southern drawl to our table. Having, in his words, “helped” rebuild his dad’s 1959 MGA as a small child, Peter grew up loving vintage cars and trucks, adding motorcycles and all things 4×4 as he went.

Peter earned a Bachelor of Archeology and Creative Writing from the University of Alabama and has since melded his love of driving with storytelling. His voice, full of pleasantries and witticisms, can be enjoyed in The Gentleman Racer, The Vintagent, Gear Patrol, Iron & Air Magazine, and Classic Car Club Magazine.

Peter is a co-founder of both The Colloquial Magazine and The Fire Escape, the official podcast of The Colloquial. In an effort to increase his abilities in “ramping anything with wheels,” Peter has taken track training from Classic Car Club Manhattan and attended Rally School at Monticello Motor Club, where he was coached by eight-time Performance Rally motorsport champion Chris Duplessis.

On a lucky day, we get to hear Peter tell the story of his first car, a jewel of a 1958 Ford Fairlane, into which he dumped more time and money than made sense, but he has no regrets.