2023 Ford Maverick Interior and Cargo

The lower two trims miss out on a leather-wrapped steering wheel, which is one of the first signs that Ford needed to cut costs in some areas. At least the armrest is leather, even on the base XL trim. Although there are a few harder plastics, they don't look cheap, as Ford's designers went through the effort to style them with unique patterns and textures. The rugged materials will also be easier to keep clean, which is an important factor in a truck.

On the base trim, cloth seats in Black Onyx/Medium Dark Slate are standard. Unfortunately, no other color choices are on offer. The XLT gets cloth seats too but a bolder Navy Pier/Medium Slate color scheme with orange accents. On this model, the XLT Luxury package adds a leather-wrapped steering wheel, among other items.

Finally, the Lariat gets heated leather seats, a leather steering wheel, and ActiveX upholstery. The interior color is an attractive Desert Brown with blue contrast. If you've ticked the box for the optional Tremor Off-Road Package, the interior gets theme-specific trim, black seats with orange Tremor stitching, and Tremor logos.

It's here that the Maverick's smaller size will see it lose out to larger trucks. The 4.5-foot bed offers 33.3 cubic feet of cargo volume, exactly 10 cubes less than you get in the Ranger with its five-foot bed. At 1,500 lbs, the Maverick's maximum payload capacity isn't all that great either. Ford says that the payload is equivalent to 37 bags of 40-pound mulch, and the bed expands to six feet when the tailgate is down. If you need to transport 38 bags of 40-pound mulch, well, it's best to look elsewhere.

Ford has done everything it can to maximize the use of the available space, though. The Flexbed system allows for a variety of storage and cargo solutions, with lumbar boards that can fit into slots to divide the bed. There are 12 available anchor points and two 12-volt 20-amp pre-wired sources at the back. The latter feature makes it easy to, for example, install bed lighting or an air compressor.

In the cabin, there are spacious door pockets for large bottles and there is space beneath the rear seat to store items like laptop bags or a fully inflated volleyball. Of course, there are also cupholders, while the top two trims offer a fold-down rear center armrest with another two. The center console armrest conceals more space between the driver and front passenger, and the rear seats have a cool Ford Integrated Tether System (FITS) slot that allows owners to 3D print their own cupholders and unique accessories.

The base Maverick XL comes with the most essential features to keep the driver and passengers comfortable. The driver's seat is six-way manually-adjustable and the front passenger seat has four-way manual adjustment. Manual, single-zone air conditioning is standard, as well as two 12V power points, a Wi-Fi hotspot, remote keyless entry, a tilt/telescoping steering wheel, and a rearview camera living on an eight-inch touchscreen. The XL comes with auto high-beam headlights and pre-collision assist with automatic braking. Moving up to the XLT will get you cruise control, a keyless entry keypad, a power tailgate lock, and rain-sensing wipers. The Lariat is a bigger step up as it comes with an eight-way power-adjustable driver's seat, ambient lighting, a power-sliding rear window, dual-zone climate control, push-button ignition, and a larger 6.5-inch productivity screen within the instrument cluster.

The XLT and Lariat have access to far more options. By spending a bit more, you can equip the Maverick with features like a power sunroof, wireless phone charging, and heated front seats. The available Ford Co-Pilot360 package includes driver-assist technologies like blind-spot monitoring and a lane-keeping aid.

All Maverick trim levels, including the base XL, include an eight-inch touchscreen powered by Ford's Sync 3 system. It's slightly outdated compared to the Sync 4 system used in the F-150 and Bronco, but you still get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (both wired) to provide a modern experience. Despite the low starting price, Ford packs in an embedded modem with Wi-Fi for up to 10 devices. Using FordPass, owners can lock, unlock, check the fuel level, and start their Maverick from a smartphone. The base Maverick includes six speakers, while an eight-speaker B&O system is available only on the top Lariat trim. All Maverick models include bluetooth connectivity, but only the Lariat gets Sirius satellite radio.