A smaller unibody pickup by Toyota sounds like a fitting rival to the Ford Maverick and the Hyundai Santa Cruz
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Toyota is considering expanding its model range in the US with a Corolla-based unibody truck, although such an offering won’t be ready before 2027. The model would be positioned in the compact pickup segment below the midsize Tacoma, competing with the hugely successful Ford Maverick and the more niche Hyundai Santa Cruz. Additionally, there have been rumors about a possible Ram Rampage, but its release in the US market has not been officially confirmed yet.
The report comes from an Auto News article about Toyota’s future lineup in North America. Among the new and facelifted models expected to arrive in the next few years, the one that immediately grabs the reader’s attention is the ‘Corolla-based pickup.’ According to the publication, the model ‘remains a possibility, but its appearance is a work in progress.’ If it gets the green light for production, the compact pickup would likely be produced at Toyota’s Mississippi plant next to the Corolla.
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The same report suggests that the Toyota Corolla will get a new generation in 2025, two years before the rumored truck hits the market. Given the rugged nature of the compact pickup segment, Toyota will most likely give a unique appearance to the new model, rather than sharing body panels with the softer Corolla and Corolla Cross models.
While it is too early to discuss specific details, the timing of the launch makes us believe that the model could come with a hybrid or plug-in hybrid powertrain. This assumption is based on the fact that the TNGA-C architecture has already proven to be compatible with both setups.
This isn’t the first time we’ve heard about Toyota’s plans for a smaller pickup. In a Motortrend interview last year, two high-ranking officials from Toyota North America discussed the possibility of such an offering.
Bob Carter, the executive vice president of sales, candidly admitted that the company was exploring the compact pickup segment. Cooper Ericksen, the group vice president of product planning and strategy, also chimed in, stating, “If there’s a customer in need of a rugged, smaller body-on-frame vehicle, we can certainly consider that. However, if it’s intended for urban use with less extreme off-road requirements, then it would probably make more sense to utilize the TNGA unibody platform.”
In addition to the rumored small truck, Toyota has plans to keep its pickup range up to date. The midsize Tacoma has recently been renewed for 2024, so we shouldn’t expect a facelift until around 2027. On the other hand, the full-size Tundra was introduced in 2021, which means a mid-lifecycle update could potentially arrive in 2025. For our friends outside the US, the new generation of the Toyota Hilux is anticipated to make its debut in 2025.
