Toyota’s RAV4-Based Pickup Sounds Like the Maverick Rival America Wants

Ford Maverick Will Soon Have the Segment to Itself

With the Hyundai Santa Cruz heading for the exit, the Ford Maverick is about to have the compact pickup playground all to itself. That’s a big hole in the market, especially since buyers can’t seem to get enough of small, efficient trucks. Fordmoved over 155,000 Mavericks in 2025 – more than twice as many as the bigger Ranger.

Toyota’s name keeps popping up whenever talk turns to a Maverick rival. The rumor mill kicked into high gear in May, when Toyota’s North American boss Ted Ogawa admitted there’s real demand for a RAV4-based truck and called it an opportunity worth looking into.

There’s no official green light yet, but the folks behind the RAV4 aren’t exactly shutting the door on the idea.

“Wouldn’t That Be Fun?”

Speaking to Australian outletDrive during the media launch of the new-generation Toyota RAV4, chief engineer Yoshinori Futonagane was asked about the possibility of a unibody pickup based on Toyota’s bestselling SUV. He didn’t spill any secrets, but his answer gave us a peek behind the curtain.

“I admit, you're quite right. The market for a monocoque pickup truck is quite appealing,” Futonagane said through an interpreter. “There are no official plans or anything to do with developing a monocoque pickup. But deep in our heart of hearts, we all think, wouldn't that be fun?”

He even gave a nod to the Hyundai Santa Cruz, pointing out that it’s on its way out. In its place? A tougher, body-on-frame truck ready to square off with the Ford Ranger and Toyota Tacoma.

Official or not, Toyota clearly sees the draw of mixing SUV comfort, hybrid power, and a pickup bed. The Maverick already proved that recipe is a hit.

Toyota RAV4 or Corolla Cross?

The real question isn’t if Toyota will build a compact pickup, but what it’ll be based on. The RAV4 is the obvious pick for North America. It already comes with hybrid and plug-in options that could go toe-to-toe with the Maverick, and the platform is big enough to handle real work. Futonagane even said a 2.4-liter turbo could fit under the hood, which sounds just right for pickup duty.

Meanwhile, word is Toyota’s already deep into developing a Corolla Cross-based pickup. Spy shots from Brazil show a camouflaged prototype out in the wild, and local reports say it could launch by 2027. That could mean a two-pronged attack: Corolla Cross for emerging markets, RAV4-based truck for North America.

For now, Toyota’s compact pickup is still just a maybe. But when the RAV4’s chief engineer calls the idea fun, you know this story isn’t going away anytime soon.

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