Toyota Motor Corp. is looking into offering a compact pickup in the United States

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/b...s-for-u-s-market-as-demand-booms/83767672007/

Toyota Motor Corp. is looking into offering a compact pickup in the United States, potentially joining Ford Motor Co. and Hyundai Motor Co. in competing in the growing market for entry-level trucks.

Full-size and midsize pickups dominate the U.S. market, but their price — along with their size — have increased steadily in recent years. Average new vehicle transaction prices hit $48,699 in April, and with President Donald Trump’s trade policies threatening to send them even higher, drivers are increasingly looking for more affordable trucks with pint-sized beds.

Ford’s Maverick and Hyundai’s Santa Cruz models, both of which debuted in 2021, have tapped into that demand. Now, Toyota executives say the Japanese automaker is listening to U.S. dealer requests for a truck smaller than the brand’s best-selling Tacoma midsize and Tundra full-size pickups.

“We’re looking at it,” Mark Templin, Toyota’s chief operating officer in the United States, said in an interview.

Toyota executives declined to give details on how far along the plans are or when a tiny truck could be launched.

The potential foray into smaller pickups comes alongside a broader revamp of Toyota’s lineup. The carmaker is rapidly expanding its offerings of hybrid gas-electric models and plans to roll out several fully battery-electric models in the United States.

With a starting price of $28,145, Ford sold 131,142 Mavericks in the United States last year, up 39% from the previous year. It offers the truck in gas-only or hybrid versions. Hyundai’s Santa Cruz sport utility truck, which starts at $28,750, saw 2024 sales in the United States fall 13% to 32,033.

Toyota views the compact truck market as an opportunity to attract budget-minded retail and fleet buyers who don’t want to pay a premium, but desire the utility of a pickup.

“We could really do well in that segment, so we’re trying to do it,” Cooper Ericksen, a senior vice president in charge of planning and strategy at Toyota Motor North America, said in a separate interview. “It’s a matter of timing.”

 

I no longer need my dclb tacoma and am planning on selling it for a crv but would be interested in a mini crew cab truck with a 4 cylinder non turbo non hybrid engine. The Mavericks got stupid expensive for the quality once Ford realized how much demand there was at the original price.

 

That's about as likely to happen as the 202X 4th gen Tacoma facelift including an option for a naturally-aspirated V6.

 

capitalism at its finest eh?

 

I hope they go retro

 

Bring back the 22R!

 

Stout rebirth has been the chatter. Posts about it here in Tacoma World.

Who knows if it will actually happen

 

My 1990 pickup with the 22RE was one of the best vehicles I've ever owned.

 

They need to bring this over.

 

Yeah I know, sure would be nice though.

 

Drove out to a meeting about an hour away and gave a lift to two colleagues and friends, a man and a woman. They both appropriately validated my purchase -- but it was the woman who, after the ride, told me that she -- being in the market for a new small SUV -- now wanted a truck like this one, but smaller.

Toyota would do itself a disservice not to figure out how to get one of their lighter truck models comply with North American highway safety standards, etc.

My guess is the cost has as yet been deemed to be too high -- but maybe the market-share assumptions are changing. If they can figure out the supply-chain and tariff issues (both old and new), I'd love to see it happen. Heck, I might even buy one for the missus.

 

Late stage capitalism….

 

I'm sure Toyota is looking into bringing in something to compete in the space and not just NA but globally. I doubt if this will ever happen if it's NA only like Tundra and Tacoma. Regular cab Tacomas and Pick Ups easily fit into garage spaces with their overall short length same as Prius or Rav4. I know they lack the passenger capacity of either of those vehicles, the Xtracab only seats two but it's longer and 4G demensions have grown slightly. Toyota does not need to reinvent the wheel they built compact and midsize RC for decades. Right now I think Toyota is using XC to compete in the commercial space against the Maverick. If Toyota brings something to production I expect to only see a BEV unibody truck, that's what the article says. Is there a market for BEV unibody pickups in the US? Put me down as undecided, as conservative as Toyota is I don't see this happening but I wouldn't be surprised if they bring this to market in the US.

Edit

Tundra sales are not terrible but I wonder what the outcome would have been if Toyota went this direction instead of the 3G Tundra. 3G Tundra could have been put on the back burner. That's probably why it all comes down to timing.

 

I thought the Maverick was a brilliant move. Puts Ford into a segment not already dominated by Tacoma’s.

In either case, some small truck sales may come at the expense of the mid-size models.

Around here, the Maverick seems to have appeal with the younger crowd. already seeing them dominate MTB Trailheads.

 

Same around me. I see more and more Mavericks everyday. I think they outnumber Tacomas in my area. Just yesterday I saw a Maverick Tremor at the range.

 

Well, duh. They took the Tacoma and put it so close in size to the tundra that they're practically competing, and didn't anticipate that the skyrocketing costs of trucks would reintroduce demand in the compact market.

For Toyota, who is normally pretty good at predicting the future, that's incredibly shortsighted.

 

Look again. They're generally the opposite of predictors. They play the safe game.

Heck, it was the entire reason for them starting the scion brand. To break the rhythm and try to take a risk on different markets. Problem was they defined the brands success as "lowering their average purchasing age from 55". And then the Xb took off for elderly people because its higher seating position was easier to get in and out of than their current crop of cars.

 

Heck, I'd buy one of those @tacofish ...

I'd want the extra Cab

 

I want to talk about the Santa Cruz. I don't think those are bad vehicles I just don't see a ton of them on the road and those aren't really getting used commercially. Toyota would really need to lean in the truck direction on this one and design something more stout than the Maverick to succeed. How many Prius drivers also want a bed?

Hyundai needs to redesign the SC after the Santa Fe, and they would sell more of them. Hyundai has a SF commercial where it's pulling a 80s-90s era reg cab Rwd Ranger out of a mud bog.

 

Feel like I heard this one before!