Recent rumors suggest Toyota may be looking to compete with the Ford Maverick. And while the Japanese automaker has tried to deny it, all signs seem to point toward an affordable compact truck based on the Toyota Corolla Cross’s platform.
Rumors about a new pickup like the classic Toyota Stout have been rampant in the past few years, and the VP of Toyota USA has done his best to deny them. However, at a recent dealer meeting in Las Vegas, Steve Gates, chairman of the Toyota National Dealer Council, said the Ford Maverick has “done reasonably well.” He suggested dealers would want to sell something similar.
We still believe the Toyota mini pickup is under consideration and will debut around 2026. This market is just too lucrative, and Toyota already has many loyal fans. With big trucks becoming expensive, the Maverick’s formula for simplicity has proven quite successful.
In the first six months of 2023, Ford Maverick sales increased about 10 percent to 42,499 units in the United States. And it’s a global model, selling in Mexico and South America as well.
This latest set of renderings might take inspiration from this fact. South America has a particular style of car-like pickups. Notable examples the Renault Oroch and Volkswagen Saveiro. Rumor has it Toyota is cooking up something similar.
The Toyota small pickup is supposed to be based on the platform of the Toyota Corolla Cross. It makes sense to use the architecture of one of the most popular cars in the world, the Corolla. A hybrid powertrain is almost guaranteed, but we’re actually not sure what this platform means for the design of the car.
Kolesa took things quite literally and made a Corolla Cross pickup. The notable modifications include an extended wheelbase, slightly shorter rear doors, and a modified rear end. It’s a decent-looking machine that Toyota could make for not a lot of money.
However, we believe something else will happen. We believe Toyota will sign a joint venture with Mazda, which is why they’re not openly talking about the pickup yet. They will use the leftover production capacity at the factory they co-own in Alabama to make two pickup models.
Using the TNGA platform is a good idea. Not only does Toyota have more development experience with pickups, but its hybrid engines could be the key to this project. In fact, the Ford Maverick‘s own hybrid engine is based on Toyota’s open-source patents.
A small truck might also perform well in Asian markets, such as Thailand. There, it would have 1.8-liter and hybrid engines with less than 140 horsepower. But in North America, the 2026 Toyota Stout might make use of the current Prius’ 194 horsepower system.
