Ford Is Selling Twice As Many Mavericks As Its Nearest Competitor

Aug. 24, 2022 7:51 AM ET by Chase Bierenkoven Trucks / 11 Comments

Hyundai just can't keep up with Ford's small truck.

Ford appears to be getting its money's worth out of the Maverick truck. Recently, the brand launched the off-road focused Tremor package for the popular small truck, something that's sure to make it even more popular, and we know further down the line, the ICE and hybrid variants will be joined by an electric Maverick Lightning.

The numbers back up the value of the Maverick as well, with the small truck posting strong sales for the first six months of this year. Despite some supply chain issues, Ford was able to shift 38,753 Mavericks this year, putting its largest competitor, the Hyundai Santa Cruz, well in the rearview mirror. By comparison, Hyundai sold just 18,203 Santa Cruz trucks so far this year.

Ford

Hyundai

For reference, we're comparing the two truck's year-to-date figures. That seems to be the fairest metric. We know that each brand has had its own production-related problems, as many have, so giving the largest breadth feels fair to us.

Speaking of fairness, we should also note each brand's own production issues have impacted their ability to produce trucks. As such, the comparison may change once the current crop of supply issues finally abates for both brands. Regardless, Hyundai sold less than half the Santa Cruz trucks in the same period, all things accounted for.

CarBuzz

Hyundai

Obviously, that means the Mav has completely dominated the Santa Cruz in sales. On top of that, the Mav dominates in other aspects, such as fuel economy, thanks largely to its hybrid trim.

But the outright comparison between the two is a more in-depth effort. The Maverick controls somewhere in the neighborhood of 67% of the compact truck market, with the Santa Cruz taking the remaining 33% or so. But do the two trucks really target the same audience?

Considering the vast difference in pricing between them, we feel the overlap is minimal. For reference, the Maverick starts at $20,995 and the cheapest Santa Cruz has an MSRP of $24,440. The Santa Cruz is better specced, and you need to step up a grade to the Maverick XLT to reach a comparable model. How much of the Maverick's sales come from the cheapest trim? That's a question only Ford knows the answer to.

Hyundai

CarBuzz

In addition to controlling the compact truck market, the Ford Maverick also continues to punch above its weight in sales volume. The truck was able to outsell its midsized sibling, the Ford Ranger, by a few thousand units YTD.

Obviously, these are the only two competitors in the space right now. Toyota is rumored to be working on a small truck, which will certainly shift the tables once again, and VW could enter the fray in the future as well. Time will tell whether the Maverick retains its lead, but it seems the adage is true - the early bird gets the worm.