04:45 24-06-2026
Toyota RAV4-based pickup: brand watches Ford Maverick's success but isn't rushing in
Toyota keeps eyeing a compact RAV4-based pickup as Ford Maverick hits a record 155,051 US sales in 2025, but the brand is in no rush to launch a direct rival.
Toyota is back in the conversation about a compact pickup based on the RAV4. The trigger is the Ford Maverick segment: this affordable unibody pickup has shown that US buyers want a smaller, more efficient alternative to traditional body-on-frame trucks. Even so, Toyota has not announced a production RAV4 pickup and has not confirmed any launch timing.
The discussion has been running for years. Toyota Motor North America CEO Ted Ogawa told Automotive News that the company is studying a compact pickup and sees dealer interest. He called a RAV4-based pickup an interesting opportunity, but stressed that such projects take time. The RAV4 platform is well suited to a comfortable, efficient and more urban-style pickup.
At the same time, more cautious voices have been heard inside Toyota. North American chief operating officer Mark Templin said the brand has no plans to quickly launch a direct rival to the Ford Maverick and asked buyers to “be patient.” In his view, the compact pickup segment remains relatively small despite Maverick's success.
The logic of a possible model is clear. Toyota already has a strong foundation in the RAV4 on the TNGA-K platform, and the Ford Maverick has proven that buyers want a light pickup with crossover comfort, hybrid tech and a reasonable price, not a heavy body-on-frame truck. In 2025, the Maverick moved a record 155,051 units in the US — well ahead of the larger Ranger.
For Toyota, such a pickup would fill the slot below the Tacoma. But it all comes down to price: the Maverick starts well below mid-size pickups, and without a similar price gap Toyota risks ending up not with a mass-market model but with an expensive alternative to its own Tacoma. That is exactly why the brand is in no hurry — entering the segment is easy, but building a profitable and affordable pickup there is much harder.