Toyota small pickup truck to challenge Ford Maverick

Toyota is planning to launch a small pickup truck that will compete with the Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz in future.

Cooper Ericksen, Toyota’s head of planning and strategy for North America, confirmed the rumours. He said, “Decisions have been made”, and the automobile company is looking forward to building a truck.

Ford Maverick is a huge success; therefore, Toyota is taking its time to learn from the past successes and pitfalls of its competitors in the market.

The pickup truck is expected to be launched in Fall 2027.

The new vehicle will be a unibody construction, sharing its engineering with crossovers that use Toyota’s TNGA-K or TNGA-C platforms, such as Camry and Corolla Cross.

The focus will be on the hybrid powertrain with a possibility of a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) variant, which will have the electric-only range up to 60 miles. The 2.5-litre engine with electric motors is expected to be the RAV4 Hybrid’s powertrain.

Toyota is hopeful to build a “workhorse” for real utility, as it will be a car-based truck. The towing capacity can match the Ford Maverick’s 2,000 for hybrids and up to 4,000 for gas or more powerful options.

The entry-level pricing would be around $30,000, putting it in direct competition with Santa Cruz and Maverick.

As per Toyota’s estimate, it could sell 100,000 to 150,000 units alone in the United States.

There is no confirmation about the name. However, there are speculations that the new truck will be named like Stout, T-100 or Hilux as a revival of historic nameplates.

The design is predicted to be a rugged one that resembles Toyota’s truck with a crossover-like front. The aim is to provide a combination of an urban-friendly vehicle and a small pickup truck.

Is the Ford Maverick the same size as a Toyota Tacoma?

No, the Ford Maverick is significantly smaller than the Toyota Tacoma. Maverick is a compact pickup truck, and Tacoma is a mid-size pickup truck.