Wee Ford Maverick gains big Tremor off-road capability

Henry Payne
The Detroit News

Maverick is bringing in a new Top Gun.

Ford’s entry-level, compact pickup truck will gain a Tremor off-road performance trim for the 2023 model year. The little dirt-kicker will be available on the XLT and Lariat trims with Maverick’s spunky, 250-horse turbo-4 engine and torque-vectoring, dual-rear clutch pack drivetrain standard — the same tools as the Bronco Sport Badlands with which Maverick shares a unibody chassis.

The Tremor trim was introduced on the F-series Super Duty trucks in 2019 and also is available on the full-size F-150 and mid-size Ranger trucks. You’ll know the Maverick Tremor by its signature orange tow hooks, Maverick bed graphic, and orange-trimmed wheels and grille. To better conquer off-road obstacles, Tremor gains a 1-inch lift and front skid plate.

2023 Ford Maverick Tremor gets dirty

“Ranger, F-150 and Super Duty customers have embraced the unique capability found across our Tremor family of trucks,” said Ford truck marketing chief Todd Eckert. “Maverick Tremor delivers on this same promise with new features designed for off-roading.”

The wildly-successful Maverick starts at $22,470 and is Ford’s entry-level drug to its full truck lineup. The only Ford truck offering built on a unibody platform, Maverick has sold out for the 2022 model year as orders outstripped capacity. A segment-busting compact pickup, Maverick is one of the 20 fastest-selling vehicles in the U.S. market with 38,753 in sales through June (49% of those hybrid sales) — outstripping even Ford’s venerable mid-size Ranger pickup.

The $2,995 Tremor package goes above and beyond the FX4 off-road package offered for all-wheel-drive Mavericks equipped with the turbo-4 engine (the base, hybrid model is front-wheel-drive only). FX4 options underbody skid-plating, 17-inch rims wrapped with all-terrain tires, hill descent control, and Mud/Rut and Sand off-road drive modes.

Tremor brings those goodies plus an exclusive rear, twin-clutch rear-drive unit that is both lockable — and can throw nearly 100% torque to either wheel when necessary for more grip. The Tremor gains new shocks, heavy-duty transmission cooler, and upgraded half-shafts.

Maverick Tremor also offers Trail Control, which is a sort of low-speed cruise control that allows consistent acceleration and braking while the driver concentrates on navigating gnarly off-road terrain. 

Inside, the Tremor gets Code Orange-stitching and seat graphic on black seats. The XLT has cloth seats while the Lariat features ActiveX vinyl. For an additional $1,495, customers can opt for the Tremor Appearance Package which adds Carbonized Gray-painted roof, mirror caps, and black graphics for the hood and lower body. If that's not enough bling, then Ford offers 154 after-market accessories for Maverick.

2023 Ford Maverick Tremor

If you want to bring more toys to the trails, the Maverick Tremor puts its 277 pound-feet of torque to good use with a towing capacity of 2,000 pounds and payload rating of 1,200 pounds.

Maverick Tremor will be available for orders in September, and will go into production this fall as a 2023 model. The Maverick’s trim lineup now mirrors that of the Ranger, save for the high-performance Ranger Raptor coming to market next year. Maverick Tremor will fuel speculation that the trucklet will gain a high-flying Raptor version as well.

Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.