What they said about the Ford Maverick when it was new… (Aug 13 2001)
FORD will do itself a lot of good with the new Maverick 3.0 V6.
But what it will do to its sister company’s Land Rover Freelander, the Mazda Tribute and its competitors will be much harder to judge.
Keeping only the name of the former 4x4 it made with Nissan, the new Maverick is a joint venture with Mazda and comes along as sales of the so-called sports utility vehicles are booming.
Ford has deliberately chosen to keep the Maverick simple and while it lacks some of the mechanical sophistication and subtle features of competitors, it is nevertheless reasonably well equipped and has a moderately good off-road ability.
There are essentially two engine options, the 122bhp 2.0 four-cylinder and 194bhp 3.0 V6, the latter with four-speed automatic transmission, at £18,000 and £21,000 respectively.
First to go on sale is the V6 version I tested and this delivered plenty of power from low revs, pulling strongly and smoothly to give 0-60 mph in 10.5 seconds and a maximum 112mph.
Automatic changes were smooth until you really booted it and then the changes were a little jerky. The selector mechanism on a column stalk was not particularly smooth in action and you could easily miss the intended slot. Off-road there is a standard differential lock for maximum traction but ground clearance is limited.
Brakes were progressive and powerful and the handbrake seemed effective on a steep slope while the powered rack and pinion steering had a good turning circle, no kickback and reasonable amount of feel.
Switch-gear was well laid out, instruments simple and clear, and the air conditioning elementary but effective if a little noisy.
There was a reasonable amount of oddments space and the easy to load boot held from 500 to over 1800 litres with a load cover and restraint net included.
Four wide opening doors eased access and inside the occupants had plenty of room unless you were very tall and sitting in the back.
Visibility was very good with slim roof pillars and good lights but the wipers were noisy and left dirty patches on the glass front and back.
I was disappointed by the shapeless and very soft seats which gave poor support and location and the adjustment range of the front pair was modest.
Ride comfort was reasonably good but it was firmly sprung and you sometimes felt you were riding on rather than in the cabin. At low speed, some potholes were particularly effective at smashing their way through the suspension and jarring the occupants.
There was not the agile feel to the chassis that some might expect from modern Ford products. It felt slow to respond and it rolled around some corners but it was entirely safe and had no dangerous vices.
The top line Maverick specification includes standard leather upholstery, cd player and four front airbags, powered windows and mirrors.
Overall, the fuel consumption worked out at 22mpg, which was disappointing considering it was not driven particularly hard. But it tips the scales at 1530KG and that transmission takes its toll on the economy.
It will do very well in the SUV segment, partly because it’s a Ford and that means low running costs, but also because its easy to drive and fairly capable off road as well.
Words: Robin Roberts
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