It would compete with the Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz.
Toyota has all the necessary experience to launch something convincing in the segment.
If the small truck comes, it won’t be before 2024.
Truck and off-roading fans know Toyota for making some of the most robust and reliable trucks available on the market today. More than a half-century ago, Toyota got its start with the N10, aka Hilux, which eventually morphed into the Tacoma. The truck’s first four generations were far more compact than what we have today, and it seems as though Toyota wants to revisit the compact truck segment.
Toyota essentially owns the midsize segment thanks to the Tacoma but the renewed interest in smaller trucks has them wondering if they should launch something smaller. The Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz’s success is serving as inspiration.
“One of the spaces we’re looking at—that won’t be short-term—is where the compact pickup truck is going. You have Santa Cruz and Maverick on the market, and it will be interesting to see Scout. Today, we have the market really well covered with Tacoma, but that [a compact pickup] could be a possibility and something we continue to look at,” Bob Carter, executive vice president of sales for Toyota Motor North America said, as reported by Motor Trend.
Toyota’s TNGA platform which underpins the RAV4 and Venza would make hybrid and PHEV versions possible. And as for capabilities, as long as the small Toyota pickup is able to keep up with the Maverick, it should do well.
If Toyota decides to launch such a vehicle, we’re unlikely to see any concepts for another year with production beginning in 2024 or 2025.
