I would love to see this with a regular cab and a 6 foot bed. The Maverick bed is 4.5 feet, which just doesn't seem as useful to me; I've had plenty of things that didn't quite fit in a 6 foot bed, but were ok with the tailgate down and strapped in; they'd be a lot more precarious with a 4.5 foot bed.

Yes, not being able to move a piece of plywood (even with the bed down) would completely defeat the purpose of a small truck for me.

I'd rather give up cab space than bed space.

I think it’s possible to load 4x8 sheets by flipping the gate halfway down and putting 2x4s across the bed using the pockets in the sides. Good enough of you need the capability for an occasional project.

Photo in this article: https://www.autoblog.com/2021/06/08/ford-maverick-flex-bed/

Not bad. And it's not bad looking overall, really. For a truck.

Now if they'd only make it with a J1772 plug instead of as a soft hybrid.

The current gen Colorado isn't too big and has a six foot bed. It can be had for only $21k too.

Source: owner, and I use one for towing a vehicle trailer.