Ford unveils new Lobo variant of Maverick light truck
Ford unveiled the Lobo variant of the new 2025 Ford Maverick that's designed as a performance street truck which features a lower ride and torque vectoring for closed course driving.
Ford Motor Co. on Thursday revealed a new version of its Maverick light truck called the Lobo that's optimized for street performance and features unique aesthetics compared to the base Maverick.
"Lobo is a performance street truck. It's built off Maverick and it's really aimed at on-road, urban driving," John Emmert, general manager of North American Ford Trucks, told FOX Business in an interview.
"It also kind of harkens back to the really lowered, personalized trucks of maybe a few decades back. What we saw was that market really isn't served well today by an [original equipment manufacturer], so we think there's a huge opportunity with Lobo," he explained. "Maverick customers already spend a lot of time personalizing their trucks, and Lobo provides them with a new canvas to make it their own."
The 2025 Ford Maverick Lobo features tuned steering that helps the light truck drive more like a performance car thanks to features like torque vectoring, enhanced brakes and an upgraded cooling system to handle a more demanding style of driving.
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The Lobo's standard twin-clutch rear drive unit enables torque vectoring that improves cornering performance, grip and stability when in Lobo Drive Mode – which was inspired by drifting and autocross and is intended for use on a closed course because it activates the truck's torque while reducing stability control intervention to minimize acceleration understeer.
The Lobo rides a half-inch lower in the front and 1.12 inches lower in the back in comparison to the base Maverick, while its roof is 0.8 inches lower.
Its street truck design features a unique front style, a painted rear bumper and rocker moldings contrast with a black-painted roof and 19-inch black wheels. The Lobo's interior features were inspired by street art and features Grabber Blue and Electric Lime accent stitching, a graffiti-inspired overprint on the seats and the Lobo name embossed into the driver and passenger seats.
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High configuration versions of the Lobo also features towing technology including Pro Trailer Hitch Assist that uses cameras to help the driver line up with the hitch, and Pro Trailer Backing Assist which lets the driver control the trailer with a dial in the vehicle while going in reverse.
"We got off to a really strong start with Maverick, and we hear from our customers and learn about the things that they're interested in, and we want to build on that already strong base and deliver what they're asking for," Emmert said.
"Lobo is another opportunity for us to do that, now that's sort of the on-road pinnacle for Maverick. We of course have Tremor and our FX4 packages that deliver to the customers that are more interested in off-road, so I think it helps round out our total lineup," he added.
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Gas mileage ratings for the Lobo and Maverick are still awaiting approval from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), but Emmert said Ford is targeting 42 miles per gallon in the city for the Maverick's standard two-wheel drive hybrid engine, and 40 miles per gallon in the city for the four-wheel drive.
The Lobo variant of the Ford Maverick will have a starting price of $35,000 MSRP, compared to $26,285 MSRP for the base Maverick.
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Ford's order bank opens up for the Maverick Lobo on August 1st. Production starts later this year and deliveries set to begin in early 2025 and late availability for high configuration models.