• by Tanya Gazdik , Staff Writer, 4 hours ago

It is absolutely no surprise that Ford Maverick Lobo was named the North American Truck of the Year by NACTOY jurors. 

This jaunty pickup handles everything Michigan winter has to throw at it -- freezing rain, snow, hidden potholes -- and holds up like a vehicle twice its size. 

Don’t let the mid-size pickup dimensions of the Lobo fool you; the interior cabin is plenty big, with an ample second row. 

The Maverick comes in five trim levels, starting with the XL, which has a base price of $26,995. Next up is the XLT, followed by the Lobo, Lariat and Tremor. 

The Lobo has a base price of $35,255. It has most of the features of the XLT, along with additional features such as Lobo drive mode, a lowered ride height, performance tuned suspension and steering, black-painted roof, Lobo exclusive grill, grabber blue and electric lime interior accent stitching, and an eight-way power driver’s seat with power lumbar that is stitched with Lobo on the back. 

It features a unique, modern, "turbofan-styled" 19-inch wheel design and specialized trim, giving it a nostalgic, sporty, street-truck appearance.

I didn’t get to try out Lobo mode, unfortunately. This exclusive drive mode improves cornering, reduces understeer, and is designed for better handling on twisty roads, while also enabling a "drift" mode for track use.

One ding is a lower towing capacity -- 2,000 pounds vs. 4,000 pounds on the XL, XLT and Lariat. The Tremor version also has the lower towing capacity.

I had to drive the pickup about 30 miles in a heavy snowstorm on my way home. While it wasn’t my idea of fun -- there were lots of spinouts and bad driving from other folks who were also on the road -- the Maverick felt well-planted despite the empty pickup truck bed. 

The bed is not huge -- 54 inches vs. the available 67.1, 78.9 or 97.6 inches on an F-150 pickup truck. I didn’t get a chance to haul anything the week I had it, other than snow and ice. 

The nicest thing about it was that it handled like a sporty car with its spirited performance and nimble cornering. I didn’t remember I was driving a pickup except when I glanced in my rear-view mirror and saw the pickup truck bed. The smaller size makes it ideal for city driving and parking. 

And the gas mileage reflects that -- 42 mpg city. 

This truck clearly deserves all the awards it gets, along with props for handling snow like a champ.