Could We See a Compact Pickup from Toyota?
It’s no secret that pickups remain a top choice for North American motorists; it’s also no secret that light-duty trucks have gotten bigger over the years, so much so that for many motorists today, they’re just TOO big.
Automakers have taken notice, of course, and reasonably identified a golden opportunity to add to their truck lineups – and to their offering of highly lucrative models. Ford this year introduced the Maverick small truck and unofficially re-launched that segment in the process.
Since the start of the year, Ford has sold some 35,000 units of the Maveirck. Hyundai, meanwhile, has sold roughly 15,000 of its own new small truck, the Santa Cruz. To give you an idea of what the budding new segment is all about, the Maverick is based on the platform of the Escape compact SUV, the Santa Cruz on the Tucson compact SUV.
Then of course there’s Honda, which has had the Ridgeline on offer for years now, although that model is a bit larger than the two newcomers, as it’s based on the Pilot midsize SUV.
Now, it appears Toyota is taking a very close look at producing its own compact pickup, according to Motor Trend. During a Toyota HQ Conference at the company’s North American head office in Texas, three Toyota executives confirmed there’s real thought being given to the segment, and how Toyota might make an entry into it.
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