Latest news with #compactpickup
The Drive
21-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Drive
It's Game Over for Everyone Else if Toyota Finally Sells a Compact Pickup in the US
The latest car news, reviews, and features. The Ford Maverick, Hyundai Santa Cruz, and Honda Ridgeline have had the small pickup truck market to themselves for a while now, but it sounds like Toyota is looking into getting a slice of that pie. In an interview with The Japan Times , Toyota's North American chief operating officer Mark Templin said 'We're looking at it,' in response to U.S. dealer requests for a compact pickup slotting under the midsize Tacoma. Considering the fact that even Slate, a whole unproven startup, is putting all its eggs in the compact truck basket, it's kind of surprising Toyota hasn't brought out a vehicle like this already. The Japanese automaker pretty much has all the ingredients in place to make it happen, including stateside manufacturing facilities. Take the unibody TNGA-K bones and proven hybrid powertrains from, say, that snazzy new RAV4 and give it mini-Taco styling and a bed in the back. Toyota big boss Koji Sato was recently quoted saying, 'A car is not a car if it's not fun'—a pickup RAV4 would be hella fun. And I don't think I'm alone in thinking this. In 2024, the two best-selling cars in the U.S. were the Ford F-Series and Chevy Silverado. Nipping at their heels at number three? The Toyota RAV4, of which 475,000 were sold. Combine the compact crossover's wild popularity with this country's insatiable appetite for the truck form, and it's hard to see how a small Toyota pickup would be a losing proposition. The 2025 Ford Maverick's popularity has proved that people will buy small trucks. Ford Unibody truck naysayers may rebut by pointing to relatively weak Hyundai Santa Cruz and Honda Ridgeline sales—Hyundai sold just 32,000 pickups in 2024 (down 13% from '23) while Honda moved 45,000 Ridgelines (also a 13% drop year-over-year). But I have a pet theory that those two vehicles aren't that popular not because they are small or aren't body-on-frame but more because Hyundai and Honda aren't really known as truck brands. Classic truck brand Ford, meanwhile, sold 131,000 Mavericks last year (a 39% growth) despite that vehicle sharing bones with the Escape. In other words, the badge on the nose matters to truck people, arguably more than it does with any other segment of vehicle. Perhaps not the best thing to hear if you're Slate, but Toyota has been building trucks now with success for decades now, and it's time to cash in on that brand equity with something even those shopping on the Corolla end of the price spectrum can afford. Got a tip or question for the author about a new, small Toyota pickup? You can reach him here: Chris Tsui is The Drive's Reviews Editor. He oversees the site's car reviews operation in addition to pitching in on industry news and writing his own evaluations of the latest rides. He lives in Toronto.
Japan Times
21-05-2025
- Automotive
- Japan Times
Toyota considers making tiny trucks for U.S. market as demand booms
Toyota is looking into offering a compact pickup in the U.S., potentially joining Ford and Hyundai 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 U.S. 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 U.S., 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 U.S. With a starting price of $28,145, Ford sold 131,142 Mavericks in the U.S. last year, up 39% from the previous year. It offers the truck in gas-only or hybrid versions. Hyundai's Santa Cruz sports utility truck, which starts at $28,750, saw 2024 sales in the U.S. 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.'
