Toyota to build a pipsqueak pickup truck to target the Ford Maverick
Americans love their trucks. That’s why the Ford F-150 managed to be the best-selling vehicle in the country for over 40 years, bar none. However, as much as Americans dig big trucks, the Ford Maverick demonstrated that shoppers also liked smaller, cheaper trucks. And now, Toyota has hinted that it would dip its toes into the small pickup truck market right here in the US of A.
Toyota may build a new small pickup truck to contend with the Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz in the US market
Mid-size trucks do well in the United States. After all, the Tacoma managed to outsell its full-size sibling, the Tundra, by 33,285 units in 2024. But demand for teeny-tiny trucks is on the rise, and Toyota executives have hinted that the brand wants a slice of the pie.
According to The Japan Times, Toyota’s US chief operating officer, Mark Templin, hinted at the baby truck in an interview. “We’re looking at it,” Templin said of the prospect. Granted, “looking at it” isn’t a commitment. But Templin isn’t the only one signaling a Toyota foray into small pickup trucks.
Cooper Ericksen, a senior VP in charge of planning and strategy at Toyota Motor North America, is convinced that the Japanese automaker would perform well against the stateside competition. “We could do really well in that segment, so we’re trying to do it,” Ericksen said. “It’s a matter of timing.”
We’re here for it. A small, affordable Toyota pickup truck has the potential to siphon off some growing sales of the segment’s top performer: the Ford Maverick. Last year, Ford shifted 157,345 in the US. That’s up from 94,058 units in 2023, a 67% increase, per GoodCarBadCar. While that’s a far cry from the full-size Ford F-150’s 460,915 sales, it’s more than three times the sales figures for the mid-size Ford Ranger.
It’s also a huge lead over the Hyundai Santa Cruz, the Maverick’s most substantial segment competition. In 2024, Hyundai sold 32,033 Santa Cruz pickups. It’s a decrease from 36,675 the previous year. Considering the buzz surrounding the Slate EV pickup truck and the non-US-market Toyota Hilux Champ, demand for little trucks is alive and well. But will Toyota throw its hat into the ring? Only time will tell.
