Even though Toyota Motor North America is edging closer to a long-rumored return to the compact pickup segment, it has not yet crossed the line that would make the program officially real. Over the past two weeks, two of the company’s most senior regional executives have spoken with unusual candor about a small, unibody pickup that would sit beneath the Tacoma in both size and price. Their remarks move the project well beyond the realm of speculation, but in the absence of a formal press release and based on the information currently available, the vehicle remains in a state of near-confirmation rather than certainty. When the project is confirmed, it will likely take a few years before the vehicle is available on showroom floors.
Toyota Hilux Champ
Many of us are still waiting with furious impatience for the completed international launch of the compact Toyota IMV 0 pickup, introduced as a prototype on December 14, 2022, during Toyota Motor Thailand’s 60th-anniversary celebration. That vehicle, now sold as the Hilux Champ, Rangga, Tamaraw, or Stout (keep reading for the contemporary US connection to the Stout name) depending on the market, is expected to be available in Mexico sometime in the 2026 model year, contingent on demand forecasts and the cost of meeting NOM-194 safety rules. The vehicle was launched last year in Peru under the Stout name, but only in the short-wheelbase version with a base sales price of $20,190, double the promised (and optimistic) $10,000 base price tag as widely reported. Will the IMV 0 be the base of the promised compact pickup truck in the US market? It is unlikely that this will happen, as reports indicate that the platform and powertrain for the prospective truck are essentially finalized and will employ a unibody structure built on Toyota’s TNGA components.
Tamaraw
The first and most direct comment concerning the mysterious prospective US market compact pickup arrived on May 21, when Chief Operating Officer Mark Templin told Bloomberg Television that Toyota is “looking at” the idea of a compact truck tailored for the United States. Templin explained that American dealers have been pressing for a competitor to the Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz—two models that have carved out a profitable niche among buyers who want the versatility of a pickup without the bulk or fuel consumption of a midsize or full-size rig. His statement marked the first time a Toyota official publicly acknowledged that such a vehicle is in active study rather than simply under discussion.
Within hours of that interview, Cooper Ericksen, Toyota’s North American head of product planning and strategy, deepened the narrative in a conversation with MotorTrend. Ericksen said “decisions have been made” on core engineering matters, revealing that the prospective truck already has a defined platform and a hybrid powertrain package—an unsurprising choice given Toyota’s corporate commitment to broad-based electrification. The executive added that the remaining challenge is integrating the model into Toyota’s crowded production schedule, an exercise complicated by tariff considerations and finite factory capacity in both the United States and Mexico.
Toyota Tundra
Follow-up stories in outlets such as CarScoops and Motor1 stressed that Toyota’s confirmation extends only to its intent to enter the segment. Spokespeople for the company declined to provide a launch date, pricing guidance, or a plant location, underscoring that those variables depend on how Toyota ultimately solves the capacity puzzle. Industry analysts note that San Antonio, Texas—home to the Tundra and Tacoma—appears stretched. At the same time, the automaker’s newer facilities in Alabama and Guanajuato are already tasked with rising demand for hybrid crossovers and SUVs.
Toyota Tacoma
Intriguingly, neither Templin nor Ericksen referred to a nameplate. Observers have floated the resurrected “Stout” badge—last used in the United States more than half a century ago—but Toyota remains silent on branding. The company is equally non-committal about whether the truck would be sold exclusively with hybrid power or whether a non-electrified engine might serve as an entry point.
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