Ford Motor Company is betting that its truck expertise will pay off big in its latest vehicle introduction, the 2022 Ford Maverick compact pickup truck. In this episode of America on the Road, Ford Maverick Chief Engineer Chris Mazur will talk with Host Jack Nerad about the opportunity the new small truck represents for Ford. The market has never seen anything quite like it, and Mazur is confident that his team is hitting the right notes with the new vehicle. Among other highlights, it has a standing introductory price of just $19,995, and it base model features a standard hybrid powertrain that is expected to turn in a fuel economy figure of 40 mpg.

In the road test segment of America on the Road, Nerad discusses his recent test drive in the all-new 2022 Audi A3. The A3 has always been one of the favorites of road testers the world over, and this time Audi has ladled on more good stuff including a standard mild hybrid powertrain.

Not only will Nerad review the A3 in this episode, but guest host Geno Effler, director of corporate communications at J.D. Power. will offer his firm’s insights on how the A3 fares with its buyers.

In the news this week, t turns out that the microchip shortage that has limited vehicle production isn’t just a drag for car buyers; it’s pulling down the whole economy as well. How did this issue begin? And how long will it last? Jack Nerad and Geno Effler will share their insights on those two questions. And Effler will deliver J.D.Power’s prediction on the length of the car-shortage crisis.

Because of the microchip shortfall and the labor problems that are plaguing the country, car buyers are paying more for new cars than they ever have. We’ll have the J.D.Power statistics on that and suggestions on what can be done about it coming up in this week’s show.