Toyota Under Pressure From Dealers to Develop a Small Pickup

Pickup trucks have been all the rage for years now, and automakers have reveled in the opportunity to make as much money as possible with new models. Ford can’t make the compact Maverick fast enough to keep pace with demand and rumors have floated for years that Ram would bring its compact 700 pickup north from Mexico. Toyota, whose Tacoma has led its segment for a while now, is hearing from its dealers that it’s time to act with a competing smaller pickup. Automotive News reported that Toyota dealers are pressuring the automaker to retake the compact truck crown it established in the U.S. back in the 1970s.

While it’s true that today’s compact trucks are nearly as large as yesterday’s full-size pickups, there is clearly demand in the market for a not-so-giant model. Dealers are seeing no drop in demand for larger trucks as the new Ford Maverick continues to sell well, so there’s not a ton of downside for Toyota to listen to its franchisees.

The automaker sold the Stout here back in the 1960s and its trucks through the 1980s and 90s carried the torch with compact dimensions and nearly unbreakable construction. While a new small truck could be a boon for Toyota, dealers cautioned that it needs to be a holistic effort that offers enough tech and comfort features to go with the utility. 

[Image: Toyota]

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from TheTruthAboutCars https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/cars/news-blog/toyota-under-pressure-from-dealers-to-develop-a-small-pickup-44502772?utm_medium=auto&utm_source=rss&utm_campaign=all_full