Ford Turns the Maverick Into a 300-Horsepower Sport Truck

The compact pickup that built its name on fuel sipping and a friendly sticker price is about to pick up a very different reputation. Ford has a factory-backed upgrade called the SV300T that takes the turbocharged Maverick to 300 horsepower, adds a Borla exhaust that barks on startup, and turns a practical little truck into something closer to a tuner car with a warranty.

• A larger turbo from the Mustang EcoBoost lifts output to 300 hp and 350 lb-ft
• Sales begin in the fourth quarter of 2026, as a parts-counter kit or a turnkey truck
• The Maverick Lobo turns out to be the best foundation for the build

What the SV300T Package Actually Adds

The name breaks down as Sport Variant, 300 HP, Turbocharged, though the three-letter start is a nice wink at Ford’s old Special Vehicle Team. That skunkworks group gave us the first F-150 Lightnings and the original SVT Raptor, and this feels like the sort of thing it would have cooked up for a small pickup.

Any 2025 or 2026 Maverick with the turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four and all-wheel drive can take the upgrade. The centerpiece is a bigger turbocharger borrowed from the Mustang EcoBoost’s 2.3-liter engine, which pushes output from 250 hp and 277 lb-ft up to 300 hp and 350 lb-ft. Every SV300T also gets an upgraded intercooler, a Borla exhaust, hood and bodyside graphics, and 20-inch wheels in black or bronze.

XLT and Lariat owners can step up to a larger package that adds a front spoiler along with the Lobo’s springs, dampers, and transmission calibration. That last piece is interesting, since the recalibration turns the eight-speed automatic into a seven-speed. A separate brake upgrade swaps the single-piston front calipers for the Lobo’s two-piston units.

How It Behaves When You Push It

Power delivery has a real old-school flavor. Flatten the accelerator and nothing much happens for a beat, then the boost arrives all at once and the truck rips. There’s more turbo lag here than in just about any other new vehicle you can buy in 2026, but the payoff is a rush of thrust and an engine that spins to the top of the tach in a hurry.

Grip is not the problem either. With Michelin Pilot Sport 4S summer tires fitted to the test trucks, the Maverick beelines for an apex with real confidence. The weak link is the seating. Those soft, flat cushions were built for hauling plywood and commuting, not for cornering loads, and you’ll feel like you’re sliding out of them even with the belt cinched tight.

Why the Lobo Is the Smart Starting Point

Logic says the cheapest donor truck wins, and an XLT build looks like the budget hero on paper. Behind the wheel, the Maverick Lobo makes a stronger case. Its quicker steering ratio, paddle shifters, and more relaxed stability control let you actually use the extra power. The bigger difference is the twin-clutch rear axle, which shuffles torque side to side and helps the truck rotate into a corner instead of pushing wide.

Pricing, Timing, and the Warranty Question

Ford also suggests, without requiring, the $745 4K Tow package for its larger radiator, upgraded cooling fans, and transmission oil cooler. Start there and you’re at $34,030 before any performance parts, with a realistic all-in total in the $43,000 to $45,000 range for an XLT-based build once tires and labor are counted.

Turnkey trucks are coming too. Those leave the Hermosillo, Mexico, factory, stop at Ford’s third-party installer, then land on dealer lots where they can be financed or leased like any other new vehicle. Pricing for those hasn’t been announced. Trucks built by ASE-certified Ford techs or the company’s installer carry a three-year, 36,000-mile warranty backdated to whenever the Maverick was first purchased.

What to Weigh Before You Order One

Sales open in the fourth quarter of 2026, which leaves time to think it through. If you already own a turbo all-wheel-drive Maverick, the kit is a way to keep the truck you have and make it far more entertaining. If you’re shopping fresh, budget for tires and labor from the start, and give the Lobo a hard look as your base. Factory engineering with real warranty support is a rare pairing in the performance-parts world, and that alone may be worth the wait.