Kgm Musso Ev vs Ford Maverick

What's the difference?

Despite having the Musso name, this electric ute is a completely different beast which is much more lifestyle-oriented than the older and unrelated turbo-diesel Musso workhorse.

There really isn’t much competition out there right now in the electric ute space but this makes a compelling case, especially for those looking in the fleet space. It has an appealing price, adequate range, SUV-like comfort and decent payload capacity.

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.

You’ll either love or hate the exterior design of this ute. I’m not the biggest fan as the front is busy and likely won’t age well.

Regardless, you can’t deny that it stands out, especially with the yellow paint of our test car.

It’s hard to call this ute a Musso as it’s very clearly an Actyon or Torres from the B-pillar forwards. It’s like a Frankenstein as the rear tub section doesn’t look like it fits the aesthetic of this car.

Between the cabin and the tub area is a large slab of body colour with a rhino emblem, which looks tacky, plus there is an oversized grab handle section which serves no purpose.

At the back I like how ‘KGM’ is prominently embossed into the tailgate as no one will know what this vehicle is, at least for now.

However, I’m not convinced by the ‘X’ motif in the rear tail-lights. Like the split front LED headlight set-up with the full-width light bar, it looks too over-the-top for this kind of vehicle.

Inside, it's virtually identical to the Actyon and Torres.

While I like the look of the hexagonal steering wheel and the wraparound screen set-up combining the digital instrument cluster and touchscreen multimedia system, the copper dashboard trim looks out of place in a work-oriented type of vehicle. Good thing this is more of a lifestyle ute than something like a HiLux.

Pair this with the large amounts of glossy piano black around the gear selector and the window switches on the door cards, it’s a recipe for fingerprints, smudges and scratches.

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.

You sit up high in the Musso EV’s driver’s seat, allowing for a clear and commanding view of the road ahead. This is something that buyers of these kinds of vehicles seek as it provides more confidence behind the wheel.

While the hexagonal steering wheel looks cool, it can take a while to get your head around it, especially when turning quickly. Thankfully there are plenty of physical buttons on the wheel for key functions, so it doesn’t entirely reinvent the wheel (pardon the pun…)

Ahead of the driver is a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster which looks clear and bright. You can cycle through a range of informative pages and while this is good, I’d love to see more customisation and configurability.

The same can be said for the central touchscreen multimedia system. It’s a rather basic system, but that’s not a bad thing because it also means that it’s easy to use. Frustratingly however, the screen takes a while to boot up when you start the ute.

Even though the touchscreen is basic, the majority of owners will likely be using smartphone mirroring for the majority of their time behind the wheel. It’s for this reason that it’s disappointing there’s only the wired form of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto available.

On the flip side though, the wired connection is flawless and it actually charges your phone rather than overheating it like some wireless chargers do.

I’d love to see some more physical switchgear and buttons around the screen because you’re forced to use it for a number of key functions, like the climate control and volume.

Up front the Musso EV is fairly practical. There are two cupholders, plenty of phone slots, a large open section under the centre console, as well as dual bottle holders in the doors.

Moving to the second row you can tell this is a ute that’s based on an SUV. There’s much more space and thought put into the second-row comfort.

At a leggy 182cm I have plenty of room behind my own driving position. In the default position it’s a comfortable spot to be, however you can recline the backrest even further, although you sacrifice legroom as a result. You don’t get features like this in every ute.

In terms of second-row amenities there are two USB-C ports and air vents on the back of the centre console, a fold-down armrest with cupholders, as well as lots of seat-back pockets and bottle holders in the doors.

The tub of the Musso EV is where things get interesting. There’s a damped tailgate with two gas struts that allows for effortless opening and closing.

Once the tailgate is open, the space is decent but not standout for a dual-cab ute. The tub area measures in at 1345mm long, 1515mm wide (1100mm between the arches) and 510mmmm tall. This notably means a standard Australia pallet is a bit too wide for the tub.

Payload in the 2WD is up to 905kg which isn’t too bad for a dual-cab ute, however it drops to 805kg in the AWD.

Towing capacity is where this electric ute suffers the most. It has a braked towing capacity of only 1800kg, which is down considerably over the benchmark 3500kg many of its top-selling rivals can do. There’s also only a maximum towball down load of 180kg, which is limiting.

While this isn’t great, electric utes typically aren’t the most efficient for towing rigs. As a result this limits the Musso EV to more light-duty and lifestyle applications.

Disappointingly there’s no spare wheel at all in this ute. Instead you have to rely on a tyre repair kit which isn’t helpful if you have a proper puncture and not a slow leak.

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.

The Maverick is clearly the entry-level model in Ford’s US ‘pick-up’ line-up, positioned beneath the bigger Ranger and biggest F-150.

There’s a three model line-up in the US - XL, XLT and Lariat (following the same naming protocols as its bigger siblings).

The XL is the workhorse of the range, riding on steel wheels, and begins the range at US$23,400 (approx. $36,500), while XLT starts at US$26,315 (approx. $41,100) and the more generously equipped Lariat is priced from US$34,855 (approx. $54,450).

For context, in the US, the Escape range begins at US$28,000 (approx. $43,740) and the Bronco Sport from US$31,230 (approx. $48,780), so the Maverick is one of the more affordable members of the Ford family, which is no doubt a big part of its appeal.

In terms of standard equipment on the XLT we drove, it included 17-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, keyless entry (but not ignition), cruise control, single-zone air conditioning, a 4.2-inch instrument display and a six-speaker sound system with Bluetooth connectivity and an 8.0-inch touchscreen running Ford’s 'Sync 4' multimedia set-up.

The Tremor is a new addition to the line-up, adding some genuine off-road credentials to the XLT or Lariat in the form of a one-inch suspension lift, Ford’s 'Trail Control' drive mode system, unique off-road biased suspension and all-wheel drive with four-wheel drive lock and the 2.0-litre EcoBoost as standard.

Cosmetic upgrades include a new grille and front fender vent, blacked-out Ford logos and lights plus orange tow hooks.

Two-wheel-drive versions of the Musso EV are powered by a single, front-mounted electric motor producing 152kW and 339Nm. Yes, that makes this ute front-wheel drive.

It’s worth noting this is the exact same set-up as the KGM Torres EVX which has also just launched in Australia.

The all-wheel-drive version adds a second electric motor to the rear axle, bumping up total system outputs to 266kW and 630Nm.

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. 

All KGM Musso EVs have a BYD-sourced 80.6kWh lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) battery.

It allows for up to 420km of claimed range in the 2WD and up to 380km of claimed range in the AWD, both according to WLTP testing.

The official energy consumption is 23kWh/100m in the 2WD and 26kWh/100km in the AWD. However, in our largely unladen urban testing of the 2WD we saw an average of 20kWh/100km, which is fairly decent for a larger EV, but not outstanding.

Using this, the Musso EV 2WD has a theoretical range of 403km.

The Type 2 CCS combination charge port is on the passenger-side front wheel arch, which is great because it’s kerbside.

Maximum DC charging is 120kW, allowing for a quick charge from 10 to 80 per cent in 36 minutes, whereas maximum AC charging is 10.5kW, allowing for a 0-100 per cent charge in 10.5 hours.

Vehicle-to-load (V2L) is available through the use of an accessory which plugs into the charge port. This allows you to use the ute’s battery to power household appliances, among other things.

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.

As previously mentioned, the Musso EV we tested is a front-wheel drive. Its electric motor doesn’t have the highest outputs, although like all electric motors, peak torque comes on tap from a standstill.

In everyday traffic the acceleration is decent, yet does not stand out when unladen. Load the ute up with stuff in the tub or hook a trailer on the back and it might struggle. Thankfully if you’re after more oomph there’s the all-wheel drive.

There are two drive modes available – Eco and Sport. The former dramatically nerfs initial acceleration to make progression feel naturally tapered and to ensure there’s no front-wheel slip, but as a result it can feel a little sluggish. The latter however gives you everything and can create some light front-tyre spin if you’re too eager with the throttle.

You’re able to select from a number of different regenerative braking modes which feeds kinetic energy back into the battery pack. None of them offer a one-pedal driving mode, meaning you’ll still need to use the brake pedal to come to a complete stop.

This mimics the braking experience of a hybrid vehicle, which likely feels more comfortable and natural for drivers of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles.

Once you get your head around the hexagonal steering wheel, the steering feel itself is on the lighter side, but it still feels direct. As a result, it’s fun to chuck this ute around.

However, you can’t escape just how big this ute is, especially when parking and doing three-point turns. It measures almost 5.2m long, which is slightly shorter than a Ranger but still not compact.

Unlike many traditional dual-cab utes, this electric ute is based on a monocoque chassis, rather than a body-on-frame chassis. Additionally, the rear suspension is a multi-link set-up rather than a leaf spring set-up.

As a result, this makes the driving experience more like an SUV that prioritises passenger comfort than a ute that prioritises outright payload and towing capacity.

Around town the ride is supple but still has a firm edge, especially over the rear, even when unladen.

Smaller-than-average 17-inch alloy wheels wrapped in chunky tyres with thick sidewalls smooth out some bigger bumps.

A nifty feature this ute has is self-leveling rear shock absorbers. It’s able to pump up the rear end when you’ve got a heavy load in the tub, or if you're towing a trailer, in order to create a flat ride height. This is great as you won’t be dazzling oncoming cars with your headlights.

From a noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) standpoint, this ute is largely quiet around town. Despite this, there’s an annoying pedestrian warning sound that plays under 33km/h and can intrude into the cabin.

At higher speeds there is a fair bit of road noise which is amplified by the lack of ambient engine noise. There can also be occasional wind noise buffeting from the bonnet flourishes.

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.

In the US the Maverick XLT comes standard with seven airbags, a reversing camera and auto headlights as well as pre-collision assist with autonomous emergency braking.

But features such as blind-spot monitoring, lane departure warning and lane keeping assist are all optional extras.

It’s too early to even speculate, but given safety expectations are higher in Australia Ford would need to include those optional elements as standard to satisfy buyers.

The Musso EV is covered by a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty as standard, whereas the high-voltage battery is covered by a 10-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty.

KGM is yet to confirm servicing intervals or pricing.

There are 66 KGM dealers and service centres around Australia. The majority are spread over the eastern seaboard, however, there is generous coverage in many regional areas.

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.