It’s the best-selling car in history. It recently spawned an SUV (and a hybrid SUV). Why not a pickup truck, too? You could soon see a neighbor loading bags of mulch into the bed of his Toyota Corolla… pickup truck.
Industry publication Automotive News reports that Toyota may soon build a “Corolla-based pickup.”
It could be an answer to the popular Ford Maverick. Ford’s little truck, introduced for the 2022 model year, is so popular that Ford has sold every Maverick it can build in just a few days of ordering each year.
The Maverick is the first true compact truck sold in America in about a decade. Its success shows that, even as trucks have grown ever larger, America has an appetite for small trucks capable of hauling projects home from the hardware store but small enough to maneuver easily in a crowded parking lot. It’s not quite alone in the category – the Hyundai Santa Cruz has similar virtues but a less traditional appearance.
Its success has much of the automotive industry looking into small trucks again. GM is reportedly developing its own electric compact pickup. Ram, meanwhile, has introduced one – the Rampage. It’s officially planned only for Brazil, but the American flag taillights have us suspecting we’ll see it here soon.
Toyota has surely noticed the opening in the market as well. On the heels of the Corolla Cross SUV, a Corolla pickup might make sense.
It’s reportedly not the only change planned in the Toyota lineup. Automotive News also reports that an electric 3-row crossover, an electric sedan, an SUV based on the Toyota Crown, and a redesigned 4Runner with a hybrid drivetrain are all in the works.
