Toyota is seriously considering turning its popular RAV4 crossover into a pickup truck similar to the U.S. bestseller Ford Maverick. According to Testuo Ogawa, CEO of Toyota USA, the production may begin soon if the model gets greenlit.
Commenting on the market demand for such unibody pickups – as opposed to bulky and expensive body-on-frame trucks – Ogawa pointed out that Ford found 155,000+ buyers for the Maverick last year alone. He emphasized that the North American division of Toyota saw great potential in this market segment. He neglected to mention that Hyundai Santa Cruz – also a unibody pickup – had only sold a meager 25,500 units in the same period.
Back in 2024, both trucks mentioned above were spotted on the U.S. roads bearing identification marks of Toyota’s vehicle test department. It was then that the media started speculating that the company was looking to enter this market segment and was studying the competition.
No specific timelines were mentioned for the truck-shaped RAV4.