Toyota Is Developing A Compact Pickup for MY 2025

Well, if you go by that criteria the El Camino would be a truck.

They won't do a frame anymore because you can to a whole lot more with unibody, ie full independent suspension, trunks in beds, etc.

 

For 1dt gen guys, as much as we love it, I think gone are the days of body on full frame smaller vehicles. I don't want to accept a unibody truck but if they made an Xtra cab equivalent small unibody truck that was less frills I'd absolutely buy it

 

Carbon fiber frames? I hear that’s a thing

 

Unfortunately I think you are right. IMHO If we are in for a painful recession, budget compact trucks may be all the rage for the next few years.

 

I loved my Baja. It’s not the size of the bed, but how you use it.


The Tacoma was the smallest pickup I could get in 2019. I waited years for something comparable to the Baja to come out to replace my rust bucket, but time ran out. I wanted a small manual pickup and the Tacoma was the only option. I’m glad the market is growing again.

 

They'll never do carbon fiber frames unless they can get them to deteriorate as fast as the present ones. Planned obsolescence through attrition so they can continue to sell trucks.

 

The unibody Jeep Cherokee was awesome, and to tell the truth I would trade my Taco in a heartbeat for a brand new 2000-01 Cherokee.

 

I read an article about how Ford is doing it with the unibody stuff. They build several vehicles of the same basic unibody chassis. I think the Bronco Sport, Maverick, and like four or five other small crossovers that start with “E”. Seems like a good idea

 

Yep, Toyota does that also. And most other Mfgs.

 

The “smart tech” of the future that I dream for is an affordable, bare bones, “no tech” new vehicle line where all parts are simple and easily replaced with NEW parts, even with the potential of making all of the parts locally, from a switch to a door handle. Strip it down to the bare essence. You need intermittent wipers? Push the button and count to ten, repeat.

Maybe it would be the option of a less safe truck, but still pretty safe. I guess I just miss my no frills 1/2 ton get it done truck. It was air bag free though.

A reset of the style/feature wars would be nice and could be a viable counter strike in the insane, amped up car wars that we're all subjected to as consumers. Never gonna happen but oh well, haha!

 

Thats a fair point for sure, planned obsolescence is definitely par for the course.
However, with that unfortunate reality aside, I do think that Carbon fibers frames could be the route for making really lightweight, efficient and exceptionally strong body-on-frame trucks that would be the best of both worlds. however I suppose you also have the issue of not being able to weld carbon fiber so that might make assembly of a carbon fiber body on frame truck significantly more intensive than a metal frame. oh well. body on frame might just be gone.

 

Saw a Renault Oroch on my way into work today and thought of this thread. Not something you see everyday. At least not in Texas. Sorry for the shitty pic quality.

 

I thought my 02 Tacoma Pre-Runner TRD single cab was a great vehicle. I'd buy a quad cab version of that body size in a heartbeat.

 

What's a "Grouch"?

 

Haa, that's what I thought it said too until I got closer to it.

 

It’s not the picture quality that’s shitty, it’s the subject. WTF, let’s take a unibody car and stick a bed on the end and call it a truck. Oh, it’s butt ugly? That’s Ok, we can compensate for that by adding really stupid graphics.

 

I already have my 1st gen Tacoma and an even smaller 1st gen Hilux, so I'm good on that unibody car with a bed.

 

Toyota could sell a Corolla + TRD trailer combo. I'd recommend utilizing a long bed for the trailer.

 

This link might already be in the early posts on this subject - Toyota working on Ford Maverick competitor.

I research and tried to buy a Maverick Hybird before picking up my Tacoma DCLB a few weeks ago, had a 2020 Tundra before that.

Ford dealerships just pissed me off, nothing to test drive, one year waiting list, and $5k dealer markup. No wonder Ford stock is selling for $11.29 a share.

I thought a FWD Hybird double cab would be the perfect "toad" to tow behind our Class C Sprinter RV. Thinking about a Toyota Cross now.

A 1st gen sized Toyota compact pickup looks promising...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5wgV7hE9Uc

 

I had an 03 Tacoma Pre-Runner single cab with the 4 banger. Hated to see it go. If Toyota would come out with a comparable size in a quad cab Pre-Runner style I'd be all over it! I'd maybe even cancel my Tesla Cybertruck deposit!
My 06 Tacoma is getting a little long in the tooth....and then again, so am I!