Rumors about compact Toyota pick-up: Will the new RAV4 come as a baby Hilux?

Rumors of a new compact pickup truck from Toyota have been circulating for some time. Such a model is considered a direct response to the Ford Maverick, which was launched in 2022. Such pickup trucks with car-like character and a self-supporting body are currently experiencing a comeback in North America. In addition to the Maverick (see photo gallery), Hyundai and Ram already offer similar concepts, the Santa Cruz and the Rampage. The latter was initially introduced for South America but is expected to be available in the US soon as well.

All of the vehicles mentioned are based on their respective manufacturers' compact SUV platforms: The Ram Rampage, for example, uses the Stellantis architecture, which also underlies the Jeep Compass, while the Ford Maverick is based on the Ford Escape/Kuga platform. This is where the new RAV4 for 2026 comes into play. It relies on a new Toyota Universal Platform (GA-K), which is fundamentally different from the previous RAV4. Until now, Toyota officials in the US had categorically denied launching a compact pickup, despite desperate demands from US dealers. But recent statements from Toyota officials suddenly sound different and give rise to speculation.

The Ford Maverick is really cleaning up in the United States, increasing sales by 39 percent last year and selling over 130,000 units. This, of course, hasn't left other automakers unimpressed. Especially given the ever-increasing prices of the full-size pickups that are so popular in North America, a growing number of buyers are turning to the lower segments. While Toyota has a (highly successful) midsize pickup in its lineup in the US with the Tacoma, the world's largest automaker is struggling to compete in the lower segment.

"We could do really well in this segment, so we're trying to do it," the news portal Bloomberg quoted Cooper Ericksen, Senior Vice President of Toyota Motor North America, as saying. Ericksen is responsible for the overall planning and strategy of all Toyota vehicles sold in North America, so such a statement carries considerable weight. His boss, CEO of Toyota North America Mark Templin, was quoted by Bloomberg as saying, "We're looking into it." Denials are different.

Since there are, of course, no other concrete indications from Toyota, we're just speculating based on the known facts. Toyota's staunch denials so far could actually be due to the fact that they waited for the release of the new RAV4 generation. Developing a new model on the old TNGA platform wouldn't make much sense. Things are quite different now with the new platform, which still has many years of service ahead of it and will premiere with the 2026 RAV4.

In addition, the Toyota RAV4 enjoys an excellent reputation and enormous success in the US. With over 475,000 sales, the RAV4 was the best-selling car in the US in 2024, even dethroning the perennial winner, the Ford F-150 . This, too, indicates a shift in US customer preferences.

Based on the new RAV4, a pickup truck could be created with a wheelbase extended by 20-30 centimeters and an exterior length of approximately five meters. This would allow for a double cab with four seats and a practical cargo area. The new hybrid and plug-in hybrid models would fit perfectly into this scenario, especially since the current Ford Maverick and the second major player in this segment, the Hyundai Santa Cruz, do not offer comparable modern drive technology.

Toyota builds the current RAV4 Hybrid at its Georgetown plant in Kentucky. Production there is set to be expanded due to the well-known tariff issue; before Trump's inauguration, Toyota North America planned to relocate all RAV4 production to Canada. If the RAV4 turns out to be a pickup truck, we expect production to begin in 2027. The new Ram Rampage is also expected in the United States that year.

Even a name is already circulating: The model could be launched as the Toyota Stout. The Toyota Stout, a predecessor of today's Toyota Hilux, was introduced in the US in the 1960s and later replaced by the Toyota Tacoma. The original US version of the 1.4-ton pickup truck was powered by a 1.9-liter gasoline engine with 90 hp.