Given just how successful the Ford Maverick has been since it debuted for the 2022 model year, it’s somewhat baffling that other automakers aren’t scrambling to develop a new compact pickup of their own. At the moment, the Ford Maverick only has to worry about the Hyundai Santa Cruz as its sole direct competitor in the U.S., but rumblings suggest that this won’t be the case forever. Rather, Toyota has long been considering whether or not to re-enter that segment, and now, it seems as if that might happen in the next couple of years.
According to Automotive News, Toyota is working on developing a small unibody pickup that would compete directly with the Ford Maverick, and it would also be offered in traditional hybrid guise as well. At the moment, this new model is expected to launch at some time in 2027, which may seem a bit far off, but it wasn’t that long ago – spring of 2024 – that Ted Ogawa, CEO of Toyota Motor North America, shot down the notion that the Japanese automaker was considering a compact pickup entirely.
That sentiment began to shift in recent months, with more than one report indicating that Toyota was indeed mulling the idea of creating a proper Ford Maverick competitor, which would make a lot of sense given that model’s success, coupled with the fact that Toyota built and sold such a thing for many years before shifting its focus to the larger, mid-size Tacoma, which is seen here.
Regardless, the Ford Maverick, Santa Cruz, and this future Toyota model likely won’t be the only compact pickups on sale in the U.S. by 2027, either. Rather, the all-electric Slate Auto pickup is expected to also debut around that same time, though it’ll be significantly shorter than the Maverick and only offered in single cab guise (though it can also be converted to an SUV). Additionally, Ram is reportedly considering a Maverick rival of its own.
Interest-free financing and more on subcompact luxury crossover.
A very nice example of this generation SUV.
A feature that could come in handy during extremely cold temps.
Many are carrying that debt into new vehicle purchases.
Something it did just a couple of years ago, too.
View Comments
I hope for Ford's sake the Toyota will be as ugly as some of the renderings out there. There are claims the aesthetics will be gleaned from the 2023 Toyota EPU Concept.
If Toyota does that, they will relegate the vehicle sales to those of the Santa Cruz. The reason the Mav sells so well is bc it looks like, well, a pickup TRUCK in miniature.
Its success points to the fact that consumers who want to purchase a truck want it to look like a truck and have truck-like features and capabilities.
Compare that to the Honda Ridgeline. In spite of the automotive press love for the Ridgeline for over a decade, its sales have been decidedly muted. Only recently has Honda finally gotten the message to make it more truck-like (although it's truck capabilities still trail it's midsize rivals)
Maverick, $40k for a $20k you don’t want it out of warranty disposable vehicle.