Back in September, the 2022 Ford Maverick was nominated for North American Truck of the Year, alongside five other semifinalists – the GMC Hummer EV, Hyundai Santa Cruz, Nissan Frontier, Rivian R1T, and Toyota Tundra. Then, last November, that field was whittled down to three finalists, and the Maverick made the cut along with the Santa Cruz and R1T. Now, Ford’s brand new compact pickup has beaten all of its competition and come out on top as the 2022 North American Truck of the Year, making it two years in a row The Blue Oval has claimed this honor after the 2021 Ford F-150 won in 2021.
“Ford has revived the compact truck segment with one of the most compelling packages you can buy in 2022,” said juror Karl Brauer. “The Maverick’s efficient packaging delivers an urban-friendly, highly functional truck with an impressive list of standard equipment, even in base trim. But the Maverick’s most impressive standard feature is value – an increasingly rare trait in modern vehicles.”
“The Ford Maverick hybrid establishes the first new vehicle category since the Chrysler minivan of the 1980s,” added fellow juror Dan Carney. “Would-be contenders in this segment have been too expensive, too thirsty, or too precious. The Maverick is the first affordable, efficient, entry-level vehicle that happens to provide pickup truck utility.”
The NACTOY awards were founded in 1994, making them the longest-running new-vehicle awards not associated with a single publication. A total of 50 automotive journalists from magazines, newspapers, websites, television, and radio in the U.S. and Canada vote three times to determine the NACTOY winners, each of whom tests each vehicle and judges it based on innovation, design, safety, performance, technology, driver satisfaction, and value.
This award is the latest in a number of accolades racked up by the 2022 Ford Maverick in recent months, a list that includes Green Truck of the Year, two 2022 Kelley Blue Book Best Buy Awards – Best New Model and Best New Compact Truck, and a spot on KBB’s most considered electrified vehicles list.
Source: Ford Authority
