The Ford Maverick has received a refresh—and a new alter ego to go with it. Scheduled to hit the roads in early 2025, the Maverick Lobo aims to revitalize the classic “street truck” for the modern enthusiast. This variation on the 2025 Ford Maverick promises high performance and urban style from the country’s most popular pocket-size truck. That’s not conjecture, either—the official announcement of the Maverick Lobo began with “The Street Truck Returns” and declared it a canvas for enthusiasts to create their dream mini pickup.
Will the Maverick Lobo live up to this pledge? And why does it even matter? As someone who loves when vehicles get a performance makeover of any kind, I had to investigate this new truck. Here’s what I found about the significance of the Maverick Lobo and what it offers people who are interested in a modern street rod truck.
Why the 2025 Ford Maverick Lobo Is a Big Deal
Street trucks are generally defined as lowered trucks, usually of a smaller size, with modifications to the engine, body, and other components for improved performance and big-time attitude. They’ve been around for decades; the Chevy El Camino was arguably the first such truck from a mainstream automaker, lasting from 1959 to 1987 and still sporting a huge fanbase. Street trucks hit their stride between the mid-1980s and the mid-2000s, with the Dodge Ram SRT-10, GMC Syclone, Ford F-150 SVT Lightning, and Toyota Tacoma X-Runner among the most popular offerings.
However, the surge of off-road pickups in the 2000s and 2010s put a hurt on street trucks—not to mention small trucks in general. While behemoths like the Ford F-150 Raptor, Chevy Colorado ZR2 Bison, and Jeep Gladiator Mojave became the norm, on-road-focused small trucks seemingly were headed for extinction. Ford even announcing the Maverick in 2021 was surprising; at the time, the Honda Ridgeline and Hyundai Santa Cruz were the only other notable small trucks left for Americans to bring home.
Compact trucks are on the comeback trail, though, and the Maverick is leading the charge. After selling just over 74,000 units in its inaugural year on the market, sales have climbed steadily every year, and it is on pace to sell well over 150,000 trucks in 2024, showing people are hungry for real truck capabilities in a compressed size.
The Origins of the Maverick Lobo
With other automakers poised to jump into the fray, Ford is taking the next step to stay ahead of the pack. After introducing a compact off-road entry with the Maverick Tremor, Ford is going the other way as part of a model-wide refresh. This is no sudden pivot, though. According to Ford, designer Josh Blundo saw the Maverick’s street truck possibilities from the beginning. Early planning led to a Tucci Hot Rods build that made enough of an impression at the 2021 Special Equipment Manufacturers Association (SEMA) show for Ford bigwigs to approve a full-fledged performance truck.
Now, the 2025 Ford Maverick Lobo is sitting at the starting line. Diehard truck followers will know this isn’t the first time Ford has used the Lobo name. The Ford F-150 has been sold as the Ford Lobo in Mexico for years (“Lobo” is the Spanish word for “wolf”). It’s a great name for a truck—but that truck had better howl. As the Maverick Lobo gets ready to take the green flag, here’s the lowdown on what it delivers for street performance and looks.
What’s Special About the Ford Maverick Lobo?
First things first: even without any other changes, the Maverick Lobo would already be a spicy little truck. You get the Maverick’s 2.0L turbo-four engine with 238 hp and 275 lb-ft of torque, plus standard AWD, which is plenty of giddy-up for a compact. Its bed measures 54.4 by 53.3 inches with a 1,500-pound payload for your goodies. The 2025 refresh also includes a plethora of tech updates, including a massive 13.2-inch touchscreen and a built-in 5G modem.
The Lobo builds on this strong foundation in its quest to be the ultimate factory-ready street truck. In the spirit of modding, some of the add-ons and upgrades come from other Ford vehicles. The bigger front brakes come from the European Ford Focus ST, the performance-grade upper strut mounts and steering bushings are lifted from the Ford Mustang Mach-E, and the new steering gear was swiped from the European Ford Kuga. Just call the Maverick Lobo the Ford Frankenstein.
That’s just the beginning of the changes, though. Other notable modifications include:
- The ride height is lowered by a half-inch in the front and 1.12 inches in the rear. The roof height is 0.8 inches lower than the regular Maverick for better aerodynamics and a more intimidating stance.
- The shock damping and springs are tuned to hug the road and work best at the new suspension height.
- The eight-speed automatic transmission is replaced with a performance-tuned seven-speed with paddle shifters.
- A track-oriented “Lobo Mode” has been added, which includes torque vectoring from the rear differential, adjusting the force between wheels as needed to boost cornering grip and acceleration out of a turn.
- It comes with a bigger radiator and fan plus a transmission cooler, so the powertrain doesn’t overheat as you’re letting it roll down the highway or around a closed course.
Ford also gives the 2025 Maverick Lobo a trendy new look in the spirit of classic street rods. Prepare to feast your eyes on a body color-matching rear bumper and rocker skirts with an aggressive front facia. You also get bold 19-inch black turbofan wheels—two inches larger than the regular 17-inch rims—and a coordinating black roof. Grabber Blue and Electric Lime stitching and graffiti-style overprinting make the black upholstery pop, and the final touch is “Lobo” embossed on the front seats.
But Wait…There’s More
I’ve already given plenty of ways the Maverick Lobo distinguishes itself from a regular Maverick. Ford decided one version wasn’t enough, though. When the Maverick Lobo arrives, it will come in “Standard” and “High” variants. Here are some of the extras you get in a fully-loaded Maverick Lobo:
- A Bang & Olufsen eight-speaker sound system with HD radio.
- A sunroof to enjoy everything about a gorgeous day of thrills.
- A spray-in bedliner to protect your truck’s bed from dings and dents.
- Heated seats and a heated steering wheel for when temperatures aren’t ideal but you still crave speed.
- The full Ford Co-Pilot360 Assist 2.0 package of advanced driver-assist features.
At this time, Ford hasn’t announced if it will offer Ford Performance parts and accessories for the Lobo. It would seem the obvious play, though. After all, a street truck is meant to be customized. I’d keep my eyes peeled for if and when OEM performance components go on the shelves.
The Street Truck Rides Again
By releasing the 2025 Maverick Lobo, Ford confirmed that the reports of the street truck’s demise were exaggerated. Other than maybe some wolf-inspired artwork, this bad boy is everything I could ask for in a factory street rod. It’s more than a regular Maverick with a few frills and a new name—the Maverick Lobo is a distinct truck sure to please street performance seekers. I’m not even in the market for a new vehicle, and I’m tempted to grab one. Look for its arrival at Ford dealerships and celebrate a street truck revival from the Blue Oval gang.
