There are two new tiny trucks in the works to be pretty stoked about. Ram is building a new mid-size option to battle the Toyota Tacoma. However, Toyota is building a compact pickup truck to fight the Ford Maverick. Today, I can’t resist gushing over all the baby Tacoma facts and rumors that get my motor running. 

The compact Toyota truck might be a baby Tacoma 

While the Toyota Tacoma is the king of mid-size trucks, Toyota is ready to dominate another segment. It’s getting smaller with an ute to destroy the Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz. 

Unfortunately, details remain scarce, but there is still plenty of information to speculate about, like looks. The compact truck is expected to look like a baby Tacoma to provide uniformity across the entire truck lineup. 

You’ll get to be like Goldilocks and find a similar-looking truck that’s just right. However, it’s also expected to have a unibody design, which may upset some hardcore off-roaders. 

According to Top Speed, it may share the TNGA platform like the Toyota RAV4 and Corolla Cross. But hey, the Ford Maverick is based on the Escape, so it will probably be a recipe for success. 

The lighter frame will provide a better fuel economy. Plus, it can be reinforced to improve its payload and towing capacity. 

Like the Maverick, the new Toyota truck is expected to be a hybrid. It could feature the RAV4’s 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, paired with two electric motors, to produce 219 hp. 

The RAV4 hybrid gets about 39 mpg combined. New rumors suggest that a plug-in hybrid model will arrive to be even more efficient. 

Also, because it will utilize a different platform than the Tacoma, the backseat could gain a little extra room. The truck bed should have standard cleats and tie downs to handle rugged tasks. 

The most exciting hot gossip is related to pricing. Wipers suggest that the truck will cost between $20,000 -$25,000, severely undercutting the Maverick’s $27,145 starting price.