In endurance testing, Ford treated the 2022 Maverick as a Super Duty.

Maverick goes out of its way to offer as much functionality as possible with its exclusive FLEXBED model, which is packed with standard features in addition to a 1,500 lb payload and 4,000 lb towing capacity.

Nearly two weeks ago, Ford unveiled the all-new Ford Maverick, a new generation of compact yet powerful trucks designed to meet the challenges of creatives and entrepreneurs while delivering incredible fuel economy.

The Ford Maverick comes with a 4.5-foot bed that can carry 1,500 pounds of payload and has a six-foot floor with the tailgate down.

To convince critics that this is the real thing, the Ford Maverick and Ford marketing manager Ranger, Trevor Scott, shared some thoughts on the development of Maverick with Muscle cars and trucks. In a word, the engineers treated him like any other Ford truck.

"The team's goal was to bring the 'Built Ford Tough' concept to a smaller scale," . “The idea was to do the same as other trucks, with adjusted payload and traction. We drove through Davis Dam like a Super Duty with a trailer… the architecture (C2 platform) proved to be very capable of delivering those Ford Tough built-in elements with a few minor adjustments and stiffening of the structure. All powertrains, engines and vehicle configurations make you feel like you have more headroom than our stated limits."

According to the report, Ford was still shipping the Maverick to the same locations as its larger trucks while still towing cargo. The limits were slightly lower to reflect smaller size and less power, but the process was the same. It's not known exactly how much Ford has pushed the Maverick forward, but with 1,500 pounds of payload and 4,000 pounds of maximum towing capacity with the tow package, it's safe to assume testing beat those numbers by a bit.

Maverick seems to go out of their way to offer as many features as possible with their exclusive FLEXBED platform, which has standard features and the ability to turn the cargo bed into a complete build space. 

FLEXBED is designed to provide customers with organization and storage solutions for cargo protection, as well as for housing Ford accessories and creative DIY solutions. People can create segmented storage spaces, raised floors, bike and kayak racks and more by inserting 2x4 or 2x6 into stamped slots on the side of the bed. There are two mounts, four D-rings and built-in threaded holes on the sides for screwing on new creations.

"The whole platform is a do-it-yourselfer's paradise," said Keith Dougherty, a design engineer who helped develop the truck platform for the Maverick. “You can buy a Ford bolt-on load handling system and we'd be happy to sell it to you, but if you're a little more creative, you can also go to a hardware store and buy a C-profile and a bolt. to bed to find your own solutions."

: