Takin' It to the Streets: The 2025 Ford Maverick Lobo

From the 1980s to the early 2000s, there was a phenomenon known as street trucks. Instead of jacking up the suspension, you lowered it. Instead of rolling coal, you wanted gasoline---high-octane gasoline, because these trucks hauled more than whatever you put in the bed.

In 2021, at the annual Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association (SEMA) convention, Tucci Hot Rods took the then-new Ford Maverick compact truck and made a street truck.

It got a lot of attention...not least of all from Ford, which decided to beat the aftermarket to the potential revival of street trucks, with the Ford Maverick Lobo.

The Lobo is half an inch lower than the stock Maverick in the front and 1.12 inches lower in the rear, with the roof height lowered by 8/10ths of an inch. It uses performance-tuned steering with torque vectoring and larger brakes taken from the recently-departed European Ford Focus ST, adds a new Lobo drive mode intended only for closed-track use, a transmission oil cooler and the larger radiator and fan from the Maverick's towing package.

The engine is the 2.0-liter Ecoboost turbocharged four (not the hybrid), which makes 250 horsepower and 277 pound-feet of torque. It's all-wheel drive, with a seven-speed automatic and paddle shifters. Zero to 60 comes in under six seconds, and fuel economy remains very respectable at 21 mpg city/30 highway.

With the Maverick Lobo, it's party up front, business in the back. It features Ford's Flexbed storage system, enclosed bed storage, a power tailgate lock, and bed lighting.

Rear seat passengers get 36.9 inches of legroom. If you're not hauling more than a single passenger, that seat flips up to provide in-cab storage.

The base price of the 2025 Ford Maverick Lobo is $40,750 ($42,345 with destination). In addition to what I've already mentioned, standard equipment includes fog lamps, LED headlamps, power mirrors, synthetic leather seating with blue and lime accents, cruise control, single-zone air conditioning with a particulate air filter, power locks and windows, Ford's Co-Pilot360 1.0 active safety suite, a 5G wi-fi modem with FordPass connected features, keyless entry, pushbutton start and a 13.2-inch touchscreen.

The only extra-cost option on this test vehicle was an upgrade to 19-inch black aluminum wheels for a dirt-cheap $100. So the bottom line on the window sticker reads $42,445.

The Lobo is just the beginning. This year, Ford showed up at SEMA with its next move---a Maverick with a Mustang Ecoboost engine swap. 300 horsepower and 317 pound-feet of torque, and some other serious performance-enhancers. It uses performance-tuned steering with torque vectoring and larger brakes taken from the recently-departed European Ford Focus ST.

If street trucks make a comeback, this is where it started.