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In the world of small trucks, there are only really two options in the United States; the Ford Maverick and the Hyundai Santa Cruz. Both of these vehicles are part of a resurgence of compact pickups in the States. And they have been doing pretty well for themselves. At the start of 2023, it looks like the Ford Maverick still has the edge over the Santa Cruz. 

Is the Ford Maverick selling well?

In terms of sales, the Ford Maverick is doing quite well for itself. For Q1 of 2023, the Blue Oval was able to move over 21,0000 units. And in a market where large trucks reign supreme, that is a pretty impressive feat. It looks like folks are willing to spend their money on a compact pickup. 

A white 2023 Ford Maverick has items loaded into its bed.
Ford Maverick | Ford

In fact, the Ford Maverick is so popular that the Blue Oval was forced to close orders for the 2023 model. It looks like demand is outpacing what the company can supply. If you are lucky enough to find Ford’s small truck at a dealership, you probably won’t be paying sticker price. 

Despite Ford trying to exercise control over the situation, it looks like dealerships are adding their own markups to the Maverick.

The Maverick outpaces the Santa Cruz

For its Q1 2023, the Ford Maverick outsold the Hyundai Santa Cruz. And the numbers are not all that close. Ford sold over 20,000 small trucks, while Hyundai was unable to break 10,000. That is not to say the Santa Cruz is a bad pickup. In some cases, the interior feels nicer, and the Santa Cruz can actually out tow the Maverick. 

As a small truck, the 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz drives on a dirt road.
2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz | Hyundai

At the same time, the 2023 Maverick looks more like a truck than the Santa Cruz does. If you have seen a Santa Cruz in person, it looks like a crossover with a pickup truck bed. On the other hand, the Maverick looks like a traditional truck, just smaller than what we are usually used to seeing in the modern era. 

Can you get a Ford Maverick?

If you are hoping to go to a dealership and get a Maverick, you might be out of luck. Because of how high demand is, the Blue Oval is struggling to keep up with orders. Ford has stated that it has plans to ramp up production. And that could help relieve some of the pressure that the brand is facing. 

According to Ford Authority, there are a lot of order holders out there that are still waiting on their Maverick to arrive. Despite all of the trouble one has to go to get a small Ford truck, it still manages to outrank the Hyundai Santa Cruz in terms of sales. 

Hopefully, as production ramps up, more people are actually able to get their hands on the Maverick. On paper and in the real world, it seems like a solid product. It’s affordable, has a standard hybrid engine, and comes from a known truck manufacturer. But that truck manufacturer seemingly can’t build enough Maverick trucks to keep up with demand.

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