Toyota could be preparing a new ute to dominate the market. The brand’s North American arm has confessed to looking at a small ute that would sit below the HiLux.
Recent success in the US by Ford and Hyundai with their Maverick and Santa Cruz small utes has tweaked the interest of the Japanese giant.
In a report by US publication Motor Trend earlier this month, Toyota North American vice president of product planning, Cooper Ericksen, said the brand was seriously looking at that segment.
“One of the spaces we’re looking at – that won’t be short-term – is where the compact pick-up truck is going. You have Santa Cruz and Maverick on the market, and it will be interesting to see (Volkswagen) Scout,” said Ericksen.
A likely date for the ute to go on sale would be from 2024 onwards.
Despite the brand’s best intentions there is no guarantee the pint-sized ute would make it to the New Zealand market.
The rival Hyundai Santa Cruz is built in the US for left-hand drive markets only. The same goes for the Ford Maverick.
Reports suggest the little Toyota ute would follow a similar path to the Hyundai and Ford models and be built on a car platform rather than use a more rugged ladder on frame structure like the current HiLux.
It is rumoured the Toyota could be built on the same platform as the current Toyota Corolla and RAV4 SUV.
Using the company’s flexible TNGA platform opens the door for hybrid power in the small ute, which would dramatically lower fuel bills for tradies.
This would give it a more urban focus rather than the tough off-road ability of popular bigger utes such as the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger.
For instance the Hyundai Santa Cruz uses a turbocharged 2.5-litre petrol engine making 210kW and 420Nm. It can two up to 2200kg and has a payload of about 800kg.
- News.com.au