Start With a Lower Price

The first advantage of the Maverick comes before you even turn the key.

The 2026 Ford Maverick starts at $28,145, while the 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz starts at $29,750.

That’s more than a $1,600 difference in starting MSRP.

And the Maverick’s lower price doesn’t mean you’re getting a stripped-down vehicle that simply happens to have a truck bed.

The Maverick comes standard with a full hybrid powertrain, giving drivers an efficient and practical way to own a pickup without stepping up to the price or fuel demands of a larger truck.

Value Advantage: Ford Maverick

The Maverick gives shoppers a lower starting price while delivering the everyday utility of a four-door pickup.

The Maverick Is Built Around Hybrid Efficiency

Perhaps the biggest difference between these two compact pickups is what’s underneath the hood.

The 2026 Ford Maverick comes standard with a 2.5L full hybrid powertrain on XL, XLT, and Lariat models. With front-wheel drive, the Maverick achieves an EPA-estimated 42 MPG city, 35 MPG highway, and 38 MPG combined. Available all-wheel drive provides additional traction.

The Hyundai Santa Cruz does not currently offer a hybrid powertrain. Its 2.5L gas engine achieves up to 22 city/30 highway MPG with front-wheel drive.

That is a significant difference for drivers who spend a lot of time commuting.

Instead of choosing between a practical truck and an efficient vehicle, the Maverick lets you have both.

Fuel-Economy Advantage: Ford Maverick

42 MPG city vs. 22 MPG city.

For commuters and drivers who put a lot of miles on their vehicle, the Maverick’s standard hybrid powertrain is one of its biggest advantages.

The Maverick Gives You More Ways to Drive

The Maverick isn’t limited to one powertrain.

For drivers who want more traditional turbocharged performance, Ford offers the 2.0L EcoBoost® engine, producing 250 horsepower and 280 lb.-ft. of torque. It can be paired with front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, while the Tremor and Lobo use Advanced 4WD configurations.

The Santa Cruz’s available 2.5L turbocharged engine produces 281 horsepower and 311 lb.-ft. of torque, giving Hyundai an advantage in maximum engine output.

But horsepower isn’t the only measure of a pickup’s usefulness.

The Maverick gives shoppers a choice between an exceptionally efficient hybrid and a more powerful EcoBoost® gas engine. That means you can choose the Maverick based on how you actually plan to use your truck.

Powertrain Advantage: Ford Maverick

The Santa Cruz has more available horsepower, but the Maverick gives you something Hyundai doesn’t: a choice between a highly efficient full hybrid and a 250-horsepower EcoBoost® gas engine.

Haul More With the Maverick

A pickup isn’t useful unless it can carry what you need.

The 2026 Ford Maverick offers up to 1,500 pounds of payload capacity, depending on configuration.

The Santa Cruz’s maximum payload is approximately 1,411 pounds, giving the Maverick an advantage of nearly 90 pounds.

That difference may not sound enormous, but payload includes passengers, cargo, and other weight carried by the vehicle. When you’re loading tools, landscaping equipment, home-improvement supplies, bicycles, camping equipment, or recreational gear, every pound matters.

Payload Advantage: Ford Maverick

The Maverick provides up to 1,500 pounds of payload, giving it an edge over the Santa Cruz for hauling cargo in the truck itself.

Maverick Towing: Compact Size, Real Capability

The Santa Cruz has a legitimate advantage when it comes to maximum towing.

When properly equipped, the 2026 Santa Cruz can tow up to 5,000 pounds with its turbocharged engine. Hyundai notes that reaching the 5,000-pound maximum requires an XRT or Limited trim and aftermarket towing equipment.

The 2026 Maverick is rated to tow up to 4,000 pounds with the available 4K Tow Package.

So if you regularly need to tow at or near 5,000 pounds, the Santa Cruz deserves consideration.

But for the vast majority of compact-truck tasks—small trailers, boats, motorcycles, ATVs, landscaping equipment, and recreational gear—the Maverick’s 4,000-pound rating provides substantial capability.

And Ford offers the 4K Tow Package from the factory, including a Class III hitch receiver, 4-pin and 7-pin connectors, trailer brake controller, and upgraded cooling equipment.

Towing Advantage: Hyundai Santa Cruz

The Santa Cruz has the higher maximum towing rating.

However, the Maverick’s 4,000-pound capacity and factory 4K Tow Package provide plenty of capability for many everyday towing needs.

A Bigger, More Useful Truck Bed

One of the most important reasons to buy a pickup is the bed.

The 2026 Ford Maverick features a 4-foot-5-inch bed with 33.3 cubic feet of cargo volume.

The Hyundai Santa Cruz offers a 27.0-cubic-foot bed.

That gives the Maverick approximately 6.3 additional cubic feet of bed volume.

Ford also designed the Maverick’s FLEXBED® around versatility, giving owners multiple ways to organize and secure cargo.

Whether you’re hauling lumber for a home project, loading camping gear, carrying bicycles, or bringing home supplies from the hardware store, the Maverick’s bed is designed to be used.

Bed Utility Advantage: Ford Maverick

33.3 cubic feet vs. 27.0 cubic feet.

The Maverick provides a larger cargo bed by volume, making it especially useful for shoppers who intend to use their pickup as a pickup.

Compact Enough for Everyday Driving

One of the Maverick’s greatest advantages is its size.

Full-size pickups are incredibly capable, but they’re not always easy to maneuver through crowded parking lots, narrow streets, or older garages.

The Maverick gives you genuine pickup functionality in a compact footprint.

Its four-door SuperCrew configuration seats up to five people, giving you a practical cabin for family members, friends, or coworkers without requiring you to drive a full-size truck every day.

That makes the Maverick particularly appealing to shoppers who have traditionally driven SUVs or sedans but want the added versatility of a pickup bed.

You don’t have to buy a massive truck just because you occasionally need a truck.

Technology That Fits Your Lifestyle

The Maverick’s compact size doesn’t mean giving up modern technology.

The 2026 Maverick offers connected technology, smartphone integration, available wireless charging, available premium features, and Ford’s suite of driver-assistance technologies.

Ford also includes a Ford Connectivity Package on every 2026 Maverick, with a complimentary one-year subscription.

Higher trims provide additional comfort and convenience features, making the Maverick just as comfortable handling a daily commute as it is handling a weekend project.

Pro Power Onboard: Portable Electricity Wherever You Go

One feature that makes the Maverick particularly useful is available Pro Power Onboard™.

On select Maverick configurations, Pro Power Onboard allows the truck to provide electrical power for tools, equipment, and other devices.

The Maverick Tremor, for example, includes a 400-watt Pro Power Onboard system.

That can be useful at a campsite, tailgate, worksite, or even around the house.

It’s one more example of Ford treating the Maverick as a real truck rather than simply an SUV with a small bed attached.

Take the Maverick Off-Road

The Maverick isn’t just designed for city streets.

Ford offers two particularly interesting ways to take the Maverick beyond the pavement: the FX4 Off-Road Package and the Maverick Tremor®.

The available FX4 package adds features such as:

• Off-road-tuned suspension
• Skid plates
• Exposed front tow hooks
• All-terrain tires
• Hill Descent Control™
• Selectable drive modes
• Upgraded cooling equipment

The Maverick Tremor takes things further with Advanced 4WD, an off-road-tuned suspension, a twin-clutch rear drive unit, Trail Control™, Trail 1-Pedal Drive, and increased ground clearance.

Hyundai offers the Santa Cruz XRT, which provides standard all-wheel drive, all-terrain tires, front tow hooks, and other adventure-oriented equipment.

But the Maverick’s Tremor is specifically engineered around off-road capability while retaining the compact pickup’s everyday versatility.

Off-Road Advantage: Ford Maverick

The Santa Cruz XRT is capable, but the Maverick Tremor gives Ford shoppers a particularly compelling compact pickup for drivers who want to explore beyond paved roads.

The Maverick Lobo Does Something the Santa Cruz Doesn’t

Ford also offers something particularly unusual in this segment: the Maverick Lobo™.

Rather than focusing on traditional off-road capability, the Lobo turns the compact pickup toward street performance.

The 2026 Maverick Lobo features the 250-horsepower 2.0L EcoBoost® engine, Lobo Mode, torque-vectoring stability technology, and street-inspired performance equipment.

It’s a reminder that the Maverick isn’t limited to being a basic utility vehicle.

You can build one for efficiency.

You can build one for hauling.

You can build one for off-road adventures.

Or you can build one for fun.

That’s a level of personality that makes the Maverick stand out in the compact pickup segment.

Maverick vs. Santa Cruz: Which One Is Right for You?

The Hyundai Santa Cruz is a well-equipped compact pickup, and there are areas where it has the advantage.

Its available 281-horsepower turbo engine produces more power than the Maverick’s 250-horsepower EcoBoost®, and its 5,000-pound maximum towing capacity exceeds the Maverick’s 4,000-pound rating.

But those aren’t the only things that matter when choosing a compact truck.

Choose the 2026 Ford Maverick if you want:

• A lower starting MSRP
• A standard full hybrid powertrain
• Up to 42 MPG city
• Up to 38 MPG combined with the FWD hybrid
• Up to 1,500 pounds of payload
• A larger 33.3-cubic-foot cargo bed
• Up to 4,000 pounds of towing capacity
• A factory 4K Tow Package
• Available AWD
• Advanced 4WD on Tremor and Lobo models
• The rugged Maverick Tremor
• The available FX4 Off-Road Package
• The performance-oriented Maverick Lobo
• Available Pro Power Onboard™
• A compact truck that’s easy to drive and park
• Genuine pickup capability without the size of a midsize or full-size truck

The Hyundai Santa Cruz may appeal to shoppers who prioritize:

• 5,000 pounds of maximum towing capacity
• The available 281-horsepower turbocharged engine
• A more crossover-like driving experience
• Available premium interior features

For drivers whose priorities are efficiency, affordability, payload, bed utility, and everyday versatility, however, the Maverick stands out.

Why Buy the 2026 Ford Maverick?

The 2026 Ford Maverick challenges the idea that you need a large truck to get real truck capability.

It’s small enough to make daily driving easy.

Efficient enough to reach 42 MPG city with its standard hybrid powertrain.

Strong enough to carry up to 1,500 pounds of payload.

Capable enough to tow up to 4,000 pounds when properly equipped.

And versatile enough to offer configurations ranging from the fuel-efficient hybrid to the rugged Tremor and performance-focused Lobo.

The Santa Cruz has its strengths, particularly its higher maximum towing capacity and more powerful turbocharged engine.

But the Maverick takes a different approach.

It asks a simple question:

Why buy more truck than you actually need?

With the Maverick, you get the benefits of a pickup without the bulk, fuel consumption, or price that can come with a larger truck.

That’s what makes the Maverick such an appealing choice for commuters, families, outdoor enthusiasts, DIYers, and anyone who wants a truck that fits into everyday life.

Experience the 2026 Ford Maverick for Yourself

Specifications only tell part of the story.

The best way to understand the Maverick is to get behind the wheel.

Visit our Ford dealership to explore the 2026 Ford Maverick, compare available trims, experience the hybrid powertrain, check out the FLEXBED® cargo system, and discover which configuration fits your lifestyle.

Whether you’re looking for a fuel-efficient daily driver, a capable weekend pickup, an off-road-ready Tremor, or a performance-focused Maverick Lobo, our team can help you find the right truck.

Ready to see why the Maverick is one of the most versatile compact pickups on the road? Contact us today to schedule your test drive of the 2026 Ford Maverick.