These 2 North American Truck of the Year Finalists Are Historically Small
2022 North American car, truck, and utility vehicle of the year finalists have been announced. Every year trucks are scrutinized as experts judge which pickups provide the most value. This year, two out of the three finalists for North American Truck of the Year are historically small.
The 2022 Ford Maverick is a small truck that provides huge value
The 2022 Ford Maverick is the smallest truck that the Blue Oval has ever produced. The truck may be small, but it provides huge value for its price. The Maverick also happens to be the most affordable modern Ford truck on the market.
The 2022 Ford Maverick starts at a modest $19,995. It isn’t the quickest or the strongest, but the tiny truck is helping Ford target a new audience. The Maverick is statistically more appealing to a younger female demographic than other pickup trucks based on sales, orders, and reservations.
So, why do people like the unconventional pickup? The 2022 Ford Maverick is the first standard hybrid Ford truck. This means that the pickup’s fuel economy is much better than the average truck. According to Motor1, the pickup gets a whopping 42 miles per gallon in the city and 33 miles per gallon on the highway.
The small pickup truck isn’t just affordable to purchase. It’s also affordable to own, thanks to its amazing fuel efficiency. The Maverick also features an innovative, customizable truck bed called the Flexbed that offers plenty of utility. The Ford Maverick is 200 inches long, 73 inches wide, and 69 inches tall.
The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz drives like an SUV
The Honda Ridgeline was once one of the few unibody pickup trucks in its vehicle class. Today, both the Maverick and 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz are unibody trucks. These trucks aren’t weighed down by heavy steel rails, so they get better gas mileage and offer smoother rides.
The Santa Cruz doesn’t have amazing fuel economy like the Maverick, but it is still getting plenty of attention. It even outsold the Chevy Corvette for the fastest-selling vehicle back in August. People are clearly digging tiny pickups.
The Hyundai Santa Cruz is 196 inches long, 75 inches wide, and 67 inches tall. It gets 21 miles per gallon in the city and 27 miles per gallon on the highway. The small pickup truck starts at just $23,990. It offers an amazingly smooth ride quality.
Why the North American Truck of the Year may be a small pickup truck
While midsize pickup trucks like the Toyota Tacoma and Honda Ridgeline have been getting high praise lately, small pickups are just catching on. The 2022 Ford Maverick and 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz could be considered subcompact because of their incredible dimensions.
There are plenty of benefits that come with small truck ownership. Small trucks are great for the city because they can maneuver through traffic more easily than larger trucks. They also have an easier time fitting into parking spaces than larger trucks.
Both small North American Truck of the Year finalists have unibody designs, improving ride quality and handling. 2022’s North American Truck of the Year could be either of these small trucks because they are affordable, enjoyable to drive, and offer lots of utility to drivers.
