Ford Maverick Sales Just Jumped 60% as Rival Struggles

The Maverick Keeps Finding Buyers

The Ford Maverick is on a roll this year, and the latest numbers prove it’s not slowing down. In the third quarter alone, the compact pickup found 27,793 new homes – a wild 59.6% jump over last year. By the end of September, Ford had moved 74,300 Mavericks, setting a new record for the model.

The hybrid version remains particularly important to the Maverick, with Ford calling it America’s best-selling hybrid pickup. That said, even the entry-level Maverick XL is getting in on the action, with sales jumping 15.5% in the third quarter. Ford’s affordable lineup strategy seems to be paying off.

Meanwhile, the outgoing Hyundai Santa Cruz managed just 1,620 sales in September, a 9% drop from last year. Its third-quarter tally was only 4,830 units, a steep 25% slide from Q3 2025. YTD Santa Cruz sales have dropped to 14,811 through September, down from 20,633 last year – a 28% nosedive.

Ford’s Other Trucks and SUVs Are Pulling Their Weight

Ford sold 1,516,279 vehicles through September, with F-Series sales reaching 561,508 units. F-Series production increased 4.5% in Q3 to 266,777 trucks, with Super Duty production reaching its best quarterly result in 19 years.

Ford SUVs also posted a record third quarter, with the Bronco at 38,020 units and a year-to-date total of 114,956. Explorer sales jumped 17.6% to 189,210, while Expedition retail sales cruised up 10.1% so far this year. All told, Ford’s got growth coming from every corner – from the pint-sized Maverick to the big bruiser trucks and SUVs.

Lincoln Finds Some Momentum, Too

Three of Lincoln’s headline SUVs – Nautilus, Aviator, and Navigator – saw sales climb in Q3. Nautilus sales jumped 17.7% to 9,066 units, its best third quarter since the model’s forebear first hit the midsize premium SUV scene in 2007. Nine months in, the outgoing model has already set a new record with 27,248 sold. Aviator sales climbed 11.3% to 4,887 units for the quarter, with 18,309 sold so far this year.

For Ford, the numbers tell the story: the whole lineup is pulling its weight. But it’s the Maverick that’s stealing the spotlight among small trucks, especially when you stack its record-breaking run against the slide of its main competitor, the Santa Cruz.