The 2022 Ford Maverick is already a hit after wrapping up its first full month on sale in October, trouncing its chief rival – the Hyundai Santa Cruz – on the sales charts. And while the inexpensive and thrifty compact pickup is attracting buyers of all ages, more than one-quarter of 2022 Ford Maverick buyers thus far are between the age of 18 and 35. However, it appears that the Maverick is also proving quite appealing to female buyers, too.
According to CNBC, roughly one-quarter of Maverick buyers to date are female, which is significant given the fact that 84 percent of truck buyers in the overall market are male. That’s precisely what FoMoCo had in mind when it developed the Maverick – to create a vehicle attractive to a diverse array of buyers, and so far, the compact pickup seems to have hit the proverbial nail on the head.
“We really are seeing a new customer coming into Ford,” Todd Eckert, Ford truck marketing manager, told CNBC. “And that was really our ambition with Maverick was to appeal to a younger, more diverse customer. And we’re certainly seeing that.”
The idea is to attract new customers to the brand, including non-traditional truck buyers that may later upgrade to the Ford Ranger or Ford F-150. The Maverick – which is roughly the same length as the Toyota Camry – accomplishes that by offering more utility at a stellar price point, with impressive fuel economy to boot – a combination of qualities that aren’t historically associated with modern pickup trucks.
“In 25 years of being in this business, I don’t know that I’ve seen a manufacturer bring a product out that hit the target this well,” said Derek Lee, general manager of Long McArthur Ford in Kansas. “What we are seeing in buyers is a younger buyer. We’re seeing first-time car buyers. We are having import car buyers.”
