In recent months, we've heard rumours alleging Toyota is developing a compact ute to rival the Ford Maverick.
But now those whispers are vanishing into thin air, as Toyota itself has shut the door on the possibility. As Toyota Motor North America Group Vice President and General Manager David Christ said: "We don't have anything planned."
"We're not announcing anything to the dealers [at an upcoming meeting in Las Vegas]. I won't even say 'yet' because that would suggest it's coming," Christ added.
Ford Maverick rival?
Christ did admit that Toyota has been keeping track of the Maverick and its rising sales performance.
He also noted how utes have been growing physically for the past few decades, suggesting it has an entry point in its lineup for something smaller than the Tacoma ute (or Hilux, for the rest of the world, including NZ). Perhaps a revival of the Stout nameplate, as has been rumoured, would be the way to go.
Meanwhile, Steve Gates, chairman of the Toyota National Dealer Council in the United States, opines that a compact truck would sell well without cannibalising sales of beefier Toyota utes.
Christ has acknowledged the demand for a smaller ute from its dealer network, but everything said indicates Toyota currently has no plans for such a vehicle.
Small utes in NZ
Notably, the compact ute segment is non-existent locally, at least for now. The smallest Toyota ute you can buy is the Hilux, while Ford offers the Ranger - both mid-size utes.
No carmaker has ventured into the segment thus far, preventing us from seeing what local demand would be like for a small, lifestyle-oriented ute.
In any case, Toyota is reportedly scheduling the next-generation Hilux for a 2024 release. That will be the closest we'll get to an all-new ute from the Japanese brand.