What Does The Ford Maverick's FX4 Package Include?

Ford discontinued the U.S. Ranger in 2011, then brought the nameplate back for 2019 as a midsize pickup, leaving room below it for buyers who wanted a truck bed without the bulk of a traditional midsizer. The Maverick filled that gap directly. That positioning has left the Maverick with almost no direct rival in its class, and it's a big part of why the truck has kept growing in sales and popularity since its debut.

Besides a few nitpicks, the Ford Maverick is almost the perfect truck, which makes it that much more interesting that the compact pickup truck segment in 2026 is entirely reserved for the Maverick. If you are interested in buying one, you can get the Maverick in a few different trim levels and packages, each intended to excel in certain environments.

Among these options, the FX4 Package stands out as a compelling middle ground. So, what does the Ford Maverick's FX4 Package include? In short, the $800 FX4 is intended to make the Maverick cope better in off-road environments. It includes, but isn't limited to, all-terrain tires, underbody protection, a dedicated Off-Road drive mode, Hill Descent Control, and upgraded suspension and cooling hardware. 

The FX4 package sits between the standard AWD Maverick, which is largely built for on-road driving, and the Tremor trim, which offers the most serious off-road upgrades Ford puts on the truck. Here is everything you get with the FX4 package and how it stacks up against the Tremor, the best factory off-road Maverick money can buy.

According to Ford's official 2026 Maverick order guide, the FX4 Off-Road Package includes 225/65R17 all-terrain tires designed to help you grip through mud and loose terrain more easily. It also includes a multi-link shock absorber setup with mono-tube shocks at the rear, skid plates for underbody protection, exposed front tow hooks, hill descent control, and a dedicated off-road mode in the XLT upgraded gauge-cluster LCD display.

Since the idea behind the FX4 package is to make your Maverick more capable off-road, it also comes with a dedicated off-road driving mode that allows for better traction and control by letting the system take control of your throttle, brake inputs, and power distribution to minimize slip, prevent digging into sand, and maintain traction. The FX4 package also comes with an upgraded engine cooling fan and a higher capacity radiator to make sure your Maverick does not overheat while off-roading. However, there is one important caveat worth mentioning. To get the FX4, you need to pay Ford $800, but to even be able to tick that option, you first need to upgrade to the XLT trim and add the $1,890 XLT Luxury Package, which Ford requires with the FX4.

The FX4 package still gives you a conventional 17-inch spare tire (215/70R17), and, to let everyone know you selected the FX4, you also get a pair of handy decals. Lastly, you also can't combine Ford's black appearance package with the FX4 — it is either one or the other. Sometimes, a base Ford Maverick is all you need, but if you want more capability off-road without paying Tremor prices, the FX4 is your only other factory option.

The Ford Maverick Tremor trim-level is intended to help the Maverick do off-road bits better than the standard truck. But how different are they truly, and does it make sense to spend a better part of $40,000 for the Tremor? First of all, the Tremor gets a factory-raised, off-road-tuned suspension with unique front and rear springs and shocks. Ford's 2026 spec sheet puts the Tremor at 9.1 inches, roughly an inch clear of the 8.0-to-8.3-inch band the rest of the lineup occupies (excepting the Lobo, which has 7.4 inches of ground clearance).

The Tremor also swaps the regular AWD system used by the FX4 for Ford's Advanced 4WD system with a twin-clutch rear drive unit, 4WD Lock, and Rear Drive Unit Lock. This works in a similar manner to a locking rear differential that can send 100% of power to a single rear wheel to boost traction and get you out of sticky situations.

The Tremor gets larger 235/65R17 all-terrain tires on unique 17-inch wheels, a beefier transmission cooler, and a redesigned front bumper. That bumper helps increase its approach angle to 30.8 degrees, compared with 21.1 degrees for the standard EcoBoost AWD configuration. It also adds Trail Control with Trail 1-Pedal Drive, a more substantial Trail Control off-road drive mode than the FX4's standard drive-mode dial.

Overall, the Tremor's locking hardware, clearance, larger tires, approach angle, and trail-specific electronics make it the substantially more capable choice once the terrain gets genuinely difficult. When the Daily Motor YouTube channel compared the FX4 to the Tremor, they noted that: "The FX4 is more like surviving and the Tremor is a little bit more like thriving," which perfectly encapsulates how these two compare off-road.