'Quite Appealing:' Toyota Admits A Maverick-Style Pickup Is Tempting
But will it ever happen? Toyota says not right now.
THE BREAKDOWN
- Toyota RAV4 engineer says a RAV4-based pickup would be 'appealing.'
- The automaker has nothing 'official' planned.
- Toyota admits there is a market for a smaller truck.
Despite the Ford Maverick's monumental sales success, few automakers seem to be in a rush to build a competitor. Toyota has at least shown some interest in making a Maverick rival, with a new interview suggesting that the company is more interested in ever than bringing a small truck to market.
Speaking with Australian outlet Drive, the Toyota RAV4's chief engineer Yoshinori Futonagane said the company has discussed building a pickup based on the company’s best-selling crossover. That said, Futonagane-san confirmed that the company has "no official plans" to build such a vehicle. He stated:
'The market for a monocoque pickup truck is quite appealing. Deep in our heart of hearts, we all think, 'wouldn’t that be fun?''
Toyota Small Pickup Truck Rendering By Motor1
Small Truck Demand?
While this interview was conducted in Australia, a market known for liking pickup trucks (or utes as they call them), it is far smaller than the American truck market. Australia's bestselling vehicle in 2025 was the Ford Ranger with just 56,555 units. By comparison, the Ford Series, the bestselling vehicle in the US, moved 828,832 units. Even Australia's top seller, the Ranger, had higher sales in the US with 70,960 units.
As for the smaller Maverick, it outsold the larger Ranger thanks to its affordable price tag, nimble size, and available hybrid powertrain. Ford sold 155,051 units in 2025, far outmatching the only other vehicle in its segment, the Hyundai Santa Cruz, which moved 25,499 units. Hyundai has since announced it will discontinue the Santa Cruz to build a larger, body-on-frame truck that competes with the Ranger.
Toyota knows there is demand for another truck like the Maverick, and the RAV4's frugal hybrid powertrain and clever interior would provide a stellar starting point for a competitor. However, Toyota also knows it must be careful not to eat into the Tacoma, the bestselling midsize truck with 274,638 units sold in 2025.
Tacoma has dominated the midsize segment, just as the Ford F-Series has controlled the full-size market. Though Toyota is unlikely to lose its top spot, since the Chevrolet Colorado finished a distant second in sales last year with 107,867 units, the Japanese automaker may not want to cannibalize one of its most successful models, even if it's only a slight amount.
Motor1’s Take: A Maverick rival from Toyota is long overdue, and with the current outlook on gasoline prices, the Japanese automaker would have an instant hit if it could release the truck this year. We don't know what such a truck will be called—rumors suggest it could use the Hilux or Stout names—but we believe the market will embrace it no matter what.
More Toyota News:
Source: Drive
RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
Man Goes To Car Dealership. Then His Car Salesman Does Deal With Delivrd: 'He Had A Client All The Way In North Carolina'
Man Catches Tesla Doing Donuts In Middle Of The Road By ARCO. Then He Realizes There’s No Driver: ‘Near A Gas Station Is Scary’
The Last New Cars You Can Still Buy For Under $25,000
Ram Is Teaming Up With An Unlikely Tuner For A New Performance Truck
Mazda Salesman Says The 2026 CX-5 Has One Major Advantage Over The Toyota RAV4. Then He Opens The Door To Show A Key Feature
Man Takes Honda Pilot To The Shop Because It Shakes At High Speeds. Then The Mechanic Discovers The Real Problem
Man Takes Toyota 4Runner To His Mechanic. Then He Learns What The Previous Shop Ignored: ‘Should Be Done EVERY TIME’