The compact unibody pickup market is still a burgeoning segment in the United States, with models such as the Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz leading the charge. In parts of South America and Asia, there’s a more established market for these little trucks, including the Chevrolet Montana, Dodge Rampage, and Fiat Toro.
These small pickups often use cars from the local market as a starting point and modify them to add a cargo bed for improved practicality. The result is a compact truck with lots of utility but lower running costs.
Toyota Is Joining The Compact Truck Market, At Least In Brazil
Toyota is investing the equivalent of $2.22 billion in Brazil through 2030, and the company plans to build a small truck in the country. The pickup will launch in 2027, according to Motor1 Argentina, citing information from a dealer meeting there.
The truck will have unibody underpinnings that will possibly come from the Brazilian-market Corolla. It’ll potentially use an updated version of the TNGA platform. The smaller pickup will occupy a spot below the venerable Hilux in Toyota’s lineup.
The new Toyota pickup will allegedly use the 2023 EPU Concept for styling inspiration. The truck has a smooth nose with a short front overhang. A heavily sculpted C-pillar adds visual weight to the vehicle’s rear.
The EPU Concept is an EV, but the newly reported production version would allegedly be a plug-in hybrid capable of running on gasoline or ethanol. The truck can likely go around 46 miles on pure electric power.
The Toyota EPU Concept is only 0.1-inch shorter overall than the Ford Maverick, and the concept truck has a 10.8-inch longer wheelbase. The EPU is also 2.6 inches wider than the Ford. We can’t yet know whether these dimensions carry over to the production version.
Don’t Confuse The EPU And The Hilux Champ
Toyota already has a compact truck available in some countries. Depending on the location, it goes by the name Hilux Champ, Hilux Rangga, Hilux Stout, and Tamaraw. However, this is a very different model than the upcoming offering in Brazil.
The Champ rides on the body-on-frame IMV platform rather than using a unibody car chassis. It’s available with a gasoline-fueled 2.0-liter making 137 horsepower or a turbodiesel 2.4-liter four-cylinder producing 147 horsepower. A five-speed manual gearbox and a six-speed automatic transmission are available.
TopSpeed’s Take
The small pickup for Brazil is unlikely to come to the United States. At the very least, the company would need to manufacture it in Canada, the U.S., or Mexico in order to avoid the dreaded 25-percent chicken tax.
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