Ford (F) updated its uber-popular Maverick compact pickup for 2025 and is finally offering something many fans have been pining for — an all-wheel drive (AWD) option for the hybrid version.

The first-generation Maverick only offered front-wheel drive for the base 2.5-liter hybrid setup, which may have kept some Northern and East Coast-based customers from pulling the trigger.

“You have to make some tough choices along the way; we always wanted to do the all-wheel-drive hybrid,” said Ford’s Jim Baumbick, VP of product development and known internally as the “father of the Maverick,” to Yahoo Finance. “There's a customer in the middle that wanted the all-wheel traction.”

Baumbick added that AWD was the "No. 1" option hybrid customers asked for in the Maverick. Baumbick didn’t say whether cost was a reason why AWD wasn’t an option for the hybrid at the start. He did indicate that advances in hybrid technology may have made hybrid AWD more feasible at a lower cost.

Not that current Maverick sales have suffered: Sales of all Ford hybrids are up nearly 50% to 92,243 in the first half of the year. Leading the way is the Maverick, which Ford calls America’s bestselling hybrid pickup, with sales totaling 40,420 through June. Ford sold a total of 77,113 Mavericks (both hybrid and non-hybrid) in that time, up 81.4% compared to a year ago.

Ford says the base 2025 Maverick XL FWD hybrid will start at $26,295. The least expensive Maverick available now is the current FWD XL hybrid, which starts at $23,920. The hybrid Maverick XL with AWD costs another $2,200.

Baumbick noted that, while the hybrid powertrain is "core to the value proposition of the vehicle," it wasn't the only differentiator among its competition. For example, Baumbick said features like the electric generator, which comes courtesy of the hybrid powertrain, make it akin to a small mobile power station. The Maverick hybrid has a 110v/400 watt outlet in its bed and cabin, enough to power small power tools at a job site or a TV and small fridge at a tailgate party.

It’s likely a reason why approximately 60% of all Maverick hybrid customers come from other brands, according to Ford — and many are trading in their small SUVs and cars for Maverick pickups.

The Maverick and its smaller brethren could be the future of electrification for Ford too. Ford CEO Jim Farley believes smaller, affordable EVs are where the industry is headed, and the company’s second-generation EVs are supposedly the way toward that path.

Baumbick declined to speculate on an all-electric Maverick.

For now, the new Maverick hybrid front-wheel drive option retains its EPA-estimated 42 mpg rating, and the AWD version comes in slightly below at 40 mpg. The 2.5L hybrid powertrain produces 195hp and 155 lb-ft of torque, while the optional 2.0 liter EcoBoost turbo 4-cylinder has 238 hp and 275-lb-ft of torque.

The Hyundai Santa Cruz is Ford's only real competition in the compact pickup space, and starts around $26,900, making it very competitive in terms of price. However, a hybrid option is not available.

When it first debuted in 2022, the Maverick XL started at $19,995, making it one of the cheapest new vehicles available for purchase in the US. Overall inflation, higher labor costs, and parts shortages have pushed the Maverick's pricing higher over the years. Still, Baumbick added, "affordability is very much on our mind, and it's critical that we make this available to as many customers as possible."

The new Maverick is available for order, with deliveries beginning in the fall.

Pras Subramanian is a reporter for Yahoo Finance covering the auto industry. You can follow him on X and on Instagram.

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