Ford Maverick vs Rivian R1T

What's the difference?

Potential is the key word when it comes to the Maverick. It has loads of potential to be a sales hit in Australia, provided Ford can get it in at the right price and specification level. In many ways, for all the success the Ranger has had for the company, the Maverick is the closest thing Ford has built to the Falcon Ute since its demise.

There’s obviously no guarantees in the automotive business, but if Ford could add the Maverick as a would-be Escape replacement it clearly has the potential (there’s that word again) to do a much better job for a brand known for its adventurous models. Whereas the Escape struggled to attract attention in a crowded SUV market alongside the likes of the Mazda CX-5, Toyota RAV4 and others, that wouldn’t be the case for the Maverick.

It’s been a hit for the Blue Oval in the US, with more than 22,000 examples sold in the first three months of 2023 and the company hiring more workers to try and keep up with demand. Which will only delay any plans to bring it to Australia, as the US market clearly has priority.

Which is a shame, because it would appeal to the large number of Australians who live in urban centres but have an active lifestyle. Especially the hybrid model, which would be ideal for weekday use while allowing owners to chuck their mountain bike or surfboard in the tray and head for adventure on the weekends.

Maybe that’s an idealistic view, but the Maverick left a strong impression and would fit so neatly into Ford Australia’s line-up it would be a waste if it never made its way Down Under.

Having finally experienced the Rivian R1T from the driver's seat I think this is a ute that would have plenty of appeal in the Australian market. Not as a competitor to a Toyota HiLux Workmate or similar working-class ute, but as an alternative to the likes of the HiLux Rogue, Ford Ranger Raptor or even the new Ranger Platinum.

This is a high-end, luxury ute that also happens to be electric, which only expands its appeal. It has seriously impressive performance and, while we didn't get to test them first-hand, strong off-road credentials. Add to that a premium look and feel to the cabin and loads of practicality and it's easy to see this finding an audience here.

The biggest question will be cost, because even at a direct price conversion (which isn't a clear reflection of shipping and local tariffs) the R1T will start well over $100,000. Even by today's standards of six-figure US utes like the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and incoming Ford F-150, that will be a hard sell and could restrict its chances.

Which would be a shame because while Tesla has a clear head start in Australia, it's possible for Rivian to follow in its wheel tracks and have plenty of mainstream success.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

The design of the Maverick is one of its standout features, because it looks like a proper Ford truck, with elements in common with the Ranger and the F-150.

That’s despite the fact that underneath it actually has more in common with an SUV, sharing Ford’s ‘C2’ platform with the Escape and Bronco Sport.

It has the same ‘C-clamp’ lights that are a signature of the F-150 and have since found their way onto the Ranger.

It also has the same boxy design as its bigger siblings with a very upright front end and cut-off tail, giving it the ‘tough truck’ look popular amongst modern ute/pickup buyers in Australia and the US.

Other noticeable design elements include the Ranger-style grille treatment, slightly flared wheel arches and the ‘Maverick’ name stamped into the tailgate.

The Maverick is also available with exposed tow hooks as optional extras on the standard XLT, but they are included on the Tremor package, and add to the ‘rugged’ look of the Maverick.

Inside the Maverick looks less and feels like a pick-up and more like an SUV, with elements like the steering wheel and media system seemingly coming straight from the Escape.

But there are a number of small details in the interior design that impress, like the unique door designs and the texture finishes to some of the inlays on the dashboard and door pocket.

There's a lot to say about the design of the R1T. Unlike Tesla, which has gone radical in the design of its Cybertruck, Rivian clearly made a decision not to be too polarising but also leverage the advantages of electrification. The result is a ute that stands out even amid the glut of pick-ups on American roads.

Rivian also opted not to compete directly with the massively popular Ford F-150, Ram 1500 and Chevrolet Silverado in the US, instead sizing the R1T in what's considered the 'compact pick-up' market in the US. That makes it pretty much on par with the likes of the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux that we flock to in Australia. The R1T measures 5514mm long, 2077mm wide and 1986mm tall, which compares to 5446mm, 1852mm and 1977mm for the Ranger dual-cab.

Inside, like so many modern cars (and not just EVs), Rivian has opted for a minimalist design aesthetic, running almost every function through the central multimedia touchscreen, with only two physical buttons in the entire cabin, a pair of dials/buttons on the steering wheel and a pair of stalks behind the wheel (left for the indicators and right for the gear selector).

There isn't even a button to alter the power adjustable steering column, instead steering wheel position and mirrors are controlled via the touchscreen and the dials on the wheel. You have to select what function you want and that activates the wheel switches, allowing you to adjust for both reach and height.

It's arguably an unnecessarily complex system for something that should be simple, but for owners that can most likely do it once and then save their preferred position it's ultimately not a big deal; still, would one small button set on the steering column have been that complicated?

As you should expect for the price, the R1T quad-motor has a premium look and feel to its interior. The synthetic leather and dark ash wood make for a luxury car feeling, feeding to that simplistic but very hi-tech and polished design aesthetic.

Again, in terms of size and use you’ll feel more like you’re in an SUV than a ute when you jump inside a Maverick. It definitely feels more like an Escape than a Ranger, even down to the basic layout of all the controls, air conditioning vents and storage spots.

But there are some unique elements, like the previously mentioned interior door trims, and there are some handy storage spots in the centre console along with a pair of cupholders.

There’s respectable space in the back for what is ultimately a small vehicle, but it could do with some extra amenities for the rear seat passengers. There’s a power outlet and some under seat storage space but no rear air con vents or cupholders. 

As for luggage space, this is where the Maverick diverges from the SUV script by adding its ute-style tray.

It’s a good sized bed, as the Americans call it, measuring 1381mm long and 1353mm wide, but with the tailgate able to be set a floor height it can accommodate eight-feet by four-feet wooden sheets (2400mm x 1200mm). Our test car came with the optional spray-in liner.

The tray features what Ford calls its ‘Flexbed’, which describes a variety of in-built functionality including pre-stamped slots in the side of the tray so you can insert timber as dividers, depending on what you want to use it for. There’s also a 12-volt outlet and 10 tie-down points to lean into its practical nature. 

It may be small in stature compared to the Ranger and F-150 but the Maverick isn’t a show pony. In the years since it arrived we’ve seen multiple examples of the Maverick being used as a working truck in the US, with plumbers and builders who don’t need a bigger model opting for the practical small ute and it’s easy to see it filling a similar role here.

This is one of the areas that Rivian has excelled at and it makes the R1T a real standout in its class. Because it's a bespoke design there are a number of clever practical features around the cabin.

Starting with the Bluetooth speaker that slides out of the centre console. So you can play your music through the car's speakers or, when you leave the car, take your tunes with you. The sound system is another in-house Rivian set-up, like the multimedia, with the company splitting with original partner, audio specialist, Meridian.

Other clever interior touches include the charging pad (complete with tiny Rivian logo pattern), a sizable centre console box and a torch recessed in the door. There are also a power outlets in the cabin, rather than just USB ports, so you can charge your electronics on the move.

Rivian has also developed a 'Pet Mode' for the cabin, which the company claims allows owners to safely leave their pets in the car. The system allows the air-conditioning to keep running, even while the ignition is off, so your pet doesn't get overheated or freeze, and the media screen displays a message saying that your pet is okay (so no good Samaritan smashes your window to save your animal friend).

The R1T's other major party trick is the 'cargo tunnel' that runs the width of the car, taking advantage of the empty space between the cabin and the tray. This is a unique feature for the R1T, allowing for an extra 331 litres of lockable storage, which can be accessed on both sides or through the cabin via the rear seats.

Rivian even showed off a 'Camp Kitchen' that could slide in and out of the tunnel. This elaborate accessory was designed to make camping easier, featuring an induction cooktop, sink and crockery, but it has since been removed from the company's website as it is reportedly redesigned. Hopefully it's available again by the time the R1T makes it to Australia.

This would work in tandem with the 'Camp Mode' function that lets the ute self-level its suspension so the body is flat on uneven ground and turns off the exterior lights and sounds not to distract others, while still allowing you to use the power outlets in the tray and cargo tunnel.

As for the space in the cabin, it's good in the front and rear. With a 3449mm wheelbase there's generous room for the rear occupants that allows for two adults to sit in comfort, and Rivian claims it's wide enough for three child seats.

As for storage, in addition to the cargo tunnel, there's under bonnet storage measuring 314 litres, so there's plenty of out-of-sight space despite it being a ute.

The tray measures quite square, at 1374mm long and 1297mm wide, but Rivian has designed the tailgate to sit flush with the tray bed, which can extend the usable length to 2131mm.

The tray itself has several handy features. These include multiple power outlets and an air-compressor, so you can add extra pressure to your tyres if you let them down to go off-roading or pump up camping equipment.

Underneath the tray is the housing to keep the spare tyre on the off-road package, but as a spare isn't available on all models as standard, it can be used as storage for wet or dirty items because it's washable and has a drainage hole.

As many of these new car companies have found, including Tesla with its long-gestation periods for the Model 3, Model Y and now Cybertruck, mass-producing motor vehicles isn't an easy task. So, to simplify things and help get its business up and running, Rivian has focused on a single R1T variant for the US market initially.

This is the range-topping quad-motor R1T, with four electric motors (two per axle), which is priced from US$89,000 (approx. A$139,000)

That should give you an idea of where Rivian has positioned the R1T in the US market. This isn't a 'working-class ute'. This is one of the new breed of lifestyle vehicles that have become increasingly popular in the US and Australia.

Rivian has plans for a more affordable dual-motor (one per axle) model, which will start at US$73,000 (approx. A$114,000), and be able to be upgraded with a 'Performance' motor package for US$5000 or the choice of a 'Large' battery for US$6000 (approx. A$9000) or the 'Max' battery for US$16,000 (approx. A$25,000). We'll explain the technical difference between those motors and batteries below.

As for standard equipment, the R1T comes with a 21-inch alloy wheel and 'road' tyre, a built-in air-compressor, 'Gear Guard' security cable (again, we'll explain in-depth later), synthetic leather trim, dark ash wood inlays, heated and ventilated seats and a heated steering wheel.

Notably absent is Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, with Rivian preferring its own bespoke Google-powered system.

There is an 'All-Terrain' package available, too, which swaps out 20-inch alloys with all-terrain tyres, underbody protection and a full-size spare, that's stored under the tray.

Rivian also offers a variety of accessories including MaxTrax recovery boards, first aid kits for humans and pets and an off-road recovery kit that includes straps, hitch link and gloves.

The company has also partnered with Yakima, an American company that specialises in adventure accessories, to offer a roof-mounted tent for the R1S (but doesn't currently offer it on the R1T configurator).

And if that's not enough accessories for you, Rivian sells a huge array of branded merchandise via its website, including shirts, hats, chargers, bike mounts, drink bottles and even pet gear.

Ford offers two engine choices in the USA - a standard 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol-electric hybrid and a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol ‘EcoBoost’ option.

The hybrid powertrain makes a modest 120kW/210Nm and is only available in front-wheel drive, in an obvious nod to this ute’s shared DNA with an urban SUV. 

The EcoBoost fitted to our test car packs more punch, with 186kW/375Nm on tap and it’s paired to an all-wheel drive system via an eight-speed automatic transmission. 

There are three main powertrain options for the R1T - Dual-Motor AWD, Performance Dual-Motor AWD and Quad-Motor AWD.

Even as the entry-level model the Dual-Motor AWD makes 397kW/827Nm and can sprint from 0-60mph (96km/h) in just 4.5 seconds.

The Performance Dual-Motor AWD steps things up to 495kW/1123Nm and a sprint time of 3.5 seconds, while the Quad-Motor makes a very potent 622kW/1231Nm and takes just 3.0 seconds to run 0-60mph.

The Quad-Motor we tested comes standard with eight 'Drive Modes' that adjust the ride height, suspension stiffness, brake regeneration, stability control and torque distribution. The eight modes are - 'Sport', 'Off-Road Drift', 'All Purpose', 'Off-Road Auto', 'Off-Road Rock Crawl', 'Off-Road Rally', 'Conserve' and 'Towing'.

The ability to change torque distribution is the key function, as it allows for a wide variety of driving characteristics. For example, in Sport and Off-Road Drift it can send the majority of the power to just the rear wheels, allowing the R1T to perform like a rear-wheel drive vehicle. While in the Conserve setting it can send power only to the front motors to save energy. Or in the Rock Crawl setting it can send power to individual motors to help climb over obstacles.

Ford claims the Maverick Hybrid is capable of hitting a fuel economy figure of 6.3L/100km, which is a lot more efficient than its bigger ute siblings can manage and on par with consumption the Escape Hybrid manages in the US market.

The more powerful EcoBoost is obviously not quite as efficient, using 9.4L/100km on the combined urban/highway cycle. Although this turned out to be pessimistic, as we saw returns of around 9.0L/100km in our LA test drive.

The range of the R1T depends on how much you're willing to spend. The standard battery provides 435km for the Dual-Motor AWD but if you pay for the Large battery that extends to 560km while the Max battery buys you a range up to 640km.

The Performance Dual-Motor comes standard with the Large battery, so it has a range of 560km with the option of 640km with the Max battery.

The Quad-Motor comes equipped with the Large battery as standard and has a 530km range, but it isn't available with the Max battery.

Rivian claims the R1T has a 220kW max charging rate on a DC fast charger. The company is rolling out its own network of charging stations in the US but crucially it also recently signed a deal with Tesla. 

A new 'Magic adapter' is now available so Rivian owners can access Tesla's network of more than 12,000 chargers in the US. Hopefully that deal carries across to the Australian market when Rivian arrives here.

As you approach the Maverick your brain tells you it’s a ute, but once you hope inside and start driving that idea quickly vanishes and you realise this is an SUV in disguise.

And that’s not a criticism, because Ford offers the Ranger and F-150 for people who do want a ute/pick-up that looks and drives like a ute/pick-up, so that’s not the role of the Maverick.

This is designed to be an urban-friendly vehicle for those who may want a ute but need something smaller and more efficient.

The EcoBoost performs admirably on the road, with decent low speed response and enough grunt when you stand on the accelerator and rev it hard. The Maverick isn’t a big vehicle, so it doesn’t need a particularly big engine to get the job done. 

The eight-speed auto is well-suited to the EcoBoost, able to get the most out of the engine when needed but also returning that strong fuel figure. 

It’s not meek, though, the Maverick EcoBoost has a standard towing capacity of 900kg but can be upgraded to pull up to 1800kg with the 'Tow Package'.

Unfortunately, the Los Angeles landscape didn’t give us a chance to test the Maverick’s off-road credentials, because it does have good on-paper capabilities.

Particularly the Tremor, which has specific drive modes for 'Normal', 'Sand', 'Mud', 'Slippery' and 'Towing', as well as the ability to switch the traction control off with the press of a button so you can let the wheels slip on loose surfaces.

But around the streets and freeways of LA it did impress with its on-road manners. The steering is nicely weighted and direct, and when paired with the compact dimensions of the Maverick it reacts and drives much more SUV-like which means it feels at home in the city.

Like all EVs the R1T manages to combine rapid performance with a whisper-quiet powertrain, but what stands out is how refined the Rivian feels. For a car company's first effort the level of isolation you feel from the outside world is impressive. It doesn't have any of the squeaks, rattles and mechanical groans that plagued some other start-up EV car companies in their early days.

Instead, the R1T feels like a very complete and well resolved package. Like many modern EVs, starting it up is as simple as climbing into the driver's seat, with a sensor immediately preparing the car for you to head on your way without needing to press a 'start/stop' button.

Tap the gear selector stalk down for 'Drive' and you immediately experience the immense torque from Rivian's quad-motor powertrain. Even at suburban speeds you get a sense of the power that lurks beneath the surface of this ute.

Once we found a safe spot to unleash the full potential of the four motors they did not disappoint. It has the kind of sickening acceleration that we've come to expect from electric vehicles, with Rivian's 0-60mph (0-96km/h) claim of just 3.0 seconds feeling completely legitimate.

The regenerative braking is extremely powerful, and that's a pro and a con. That's because there are only two modes - standard and strong - but even in the lower setting there's powerful retardation as soon as you release the accelerator. This is very much an EV that can be driven on one pedal, which is fine, but it does take some getting used to.

A number of carmakers have begun offering much lower levels of regen braking, which allow you to drive more like a conventional internal combustion engine vehicle by using both the accelerator and the brake pedal, so perhaps a lower setting is something Rivian will have to consider in the future.

It also doesn't help that adjusting the regen braking is another function that requires you to dive back into the touchscreen menu, rather than using steering wheel-mounted paddles like other EVs have adopted.

The ride felt quite firm on the streets of Los Angeles, but that's not entirely surprising for what is a very heavy vehicle (it tips that scales at just over 3250kg) that's riding on 21-inch alloy wheels. However, given air suspension is standard across the range, it feels like it could be tweaked to make for a more compliant ride, especially on Australia's choppy roads.

The standard air suspension also allows for a variety of ride heights for improved off-road performance, with R1T able to adapt from as low as 241mm in 'Sport' mode all the way up to 378mm in its 'rock crawl' setting.

The R1T comes fitted with the usual array of airbags and passive safety systems, but Rivian founder Scaringe spent years working on autonomous vehicles as he built up his company so there's an array of active safety features that make the ute semi-autonomous.

Rivian calls this system 'Driver+' and it features all the now-normal active safety items like autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane change assist, lane keeping assist and blind-spot warning. The combination of these systems allows for some mild autonomous functions under the right circumstances.

Another interesting safety feature is called the 'Gear Guard' system. It's a complex system that includes a camera array, an external warning system and a physical cable in the tray.

Rivian calls it a 'family' of technologies but in simple terms it uses five of the pick-up's 11 cameras to monitor the surrounding area and sound an alarm if people are getting too close. If it sets off the alarm, the car will also send you a text message alert so you can check what's happening.

It also includes the Gear Guard cable, which is a braided steel cable with a nylon cover that you can thread through anything - such as a bike or other sporting equipment - and then lock into a connection built into the tray. Again, it uses the cameras to record anyone getting too close so you know who's tried to pinch your stuff.

The system also includes a cute monster mascot that pops up on the media screen to let people know they are being recorded. Plus it gives Rivian something to put on t-shirts to sell on their website.

It’s also much too early to speculate on ownership and warranty details.

Ford hasn’t made any official commitment to bringing the Maverick to Australia but if it does it would be logical to expect it to mirror what we already expect in terms of warranty and the ownership experience.

That means five-years/unlimited kilometres of coverage and Ford’s capped price servicing plan.

In the US Rivian offers a five-year/60,000-mile (approx. 96,000km) warranty for the quad-motor models and a four-year/50,000-mile (approx. 80,000km) warranty for the rest of the range. But the battery and drivetrains are covered for up to eight years.