Up until the Ford Maverick arrived, the brief for designing a new truck seemed quite simple: make it bigger, tougher, and brawnier than the competition. The Maverick has flipped the script by providing buyers with an affordable and economical option in the truck segment.

We already know that the Maverick with the EcoBoost engine is economical, but the hybrid is even better and capable of 50 mpg according to Ford's own Mike Levine. Well, the official EPA figures for the new Maverick Hybrid have just been revealed and while it falls short of Levine's figure, the Maverick is still officially the most efficient hybrid pickup in the country.

With its 2.5-liter engine, the Maverick Hybrid's EPA-rated gas mileage figures are an excellent 42/33/37 mpg city/highway/combined. The 42 mpg in the city is an especially impressive number, proving that Maverick customers living in congested areas need not worry about high gas bills. By comparison, the most efficient Hyundai Santa Cruz returns 21 mpg in city driving. The EPA-estimated range of the electrified Maverick exceeds 500 miles.

"Our team set out to redefine what a truck could be with the Maverick, and we've done that with an EPA-estimated 42 mpg city that beats the 2022 Honda Civic 1.5-liter four-cylinder automatic (variable gear ratio) gasoline engine," said Chris Mazur, the Maverick's chief engineer.

"At the same time, Maverick offers room for five and plenty of towing and hauling for weekend trips or do-it-yourself projects," said Mazur.

The Maverick with the EcoBoost engine, by comparison, returns 23/30/26 mpg city/highway/combined in FWD guise, which isn't a bad showing on its own. However, it can't come close to the hybrid in city driving which benefits from an efficient Atkinson cycle engine.

Ford says that due to high demand, production of the 2022 Maverick Hybrid is expected to be fully reserved in the early part of November. First deliveries are expected in January 2022 and once reservations are full, orders will then only open again next summer. However, the EcoBoost model is on sale already and orders remain open for this model.