Summary
- Toyota will launch a unibody small pickup in the US to compete with Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz.
- Likely RAV4-based with 2.5L hybrid, AWD or FWD options and a possible PHEV for big mpg gains.
- Priced just above $30K, offers off-road looks but RAV4-like refined interior and urban focus.
Toyota is set to launch a small pickup in the US in the next year or so, to compete with the popular Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Crux. To understand why Toyota is doing this, let’s consider the complexities and realities of the truck market in the US.
The US is big-truck country, with full-size pickups like the Ford F-150 and Chevrolet Silverado dominating. These are enormous vehicles, expensive to buy, and to drive. Toyota has the Tundra in this segment, but the mid-size Tacoma is the better seller.
Small trucks never used to be popular in the US, but that’s changing. A small truck like the Ford Maverick has five seats and the same drive quality as a compact SUV, but with the added features of the loadbed. This is popular for both work and lifestyle use — not to mention that these trucks are also cheaper to buy and to run than the bigger ones.
What to expect
More RAV4 than baby Tacoma
The new small Toyota truck will have a unibody construction, like a car where the body and chassis are together in a single, integrated structure. The Tacoma and other bigger trucks use body-on-frame construction, which is more rugged, but the Toyota, like the Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Fe, will have a greater bias to urban driving.
A unibody vehicle weighs less, which gives better fuel economy. It is also more rigid and has a lower center of gravity, which gives better handling. It’s quieter and gives a smoother ride, while the integrated construction makes it safer in an accident.
Sharing a platform with the RAV4
Toyota, like most carmakers, has a number of standard platforms it can use to build a new vehicle on. The one used for the Corolla is probably too small, but the version used for the RAV4, Camry, and Highlander would seem a fair bet. It would have a four-door, five-seat cabin, and a squarish loadbed about 54 by 54 inches.
Power and drivetrain
Que the ’26 RAV4
If the new small Toyota truck is based on the RAV4 (which I expect), we can anticipate the same 2.5L hybrid engine, with a cheaper FWD and 226 hp option, and AWD with two motors and 236 hp. Toyota has been aggressively moving its gas-only cars to hybrid format, and this will continue here. A tantalizing option will be adding a PHEV version as with the ’26 RAV4, able to go 50 miles on battery alone, and making a combined 320 hp. Why not?
Pricing
You can get a basic gas Tacoma for $32K, which is the same as the RAV4 hybrid. The Tacoma will get about 22 mpg, while the RAV4 will get about 39 mpg. So I expect the baseline truck to start just above $30K, a bit more than the Ford Maverick. I don’t think Toyota is going to try and outcheap Ford or Hyundai, but instead offer a compelling truck at a reasonable price.
Looks and name
Expect an offroad vibe
Even though the new Toyota will be aimed more at urban than off-road driving, I expect the design to reflect the more aggressive, chunky look found on the Tundra and Tacoma. So big wheel arches with prominent flares, the same trapezoid grille, and generally angular lines. I don’t think it will look like a RAV4 with a loadbed.
The interior, however, will be more refined and car-like, probably very similar to the RAV4. You don’t have to give up the finer features that work so well in city driving.
What will the truck be called?
The name Stout is often mentioned, because Toyota used to have a light truck in the ’60s with that moniker. I may prove to be wrong, but I doubt they would use that name. It was used too long ago, and the original Stout was only made for about five years before being discontinued. There isn’t enough heritage associated with it. The name Hilux has been floated, but that’s what the Tacoma is called in the rest of the world.
My guess is that it would be some kind of geographic feature starting with the letter T, like the Tundra (a semi-frozen landscape) or the Tacoma (the Native American name for Mount Rainier). My guess is that it would be some kind of geographic feature starting with the letter T, like the Tundra (a semi-frozen landscape) or the Tacoma (the Native American name for Mount Rainier). A quick search found a Tuff, or a kind of volcanic rock, which I think would really land well: the Toyota Tuff.
The Stout name could also be reintroduced and revamped — which is another term for either strong, brave, or overweight.
