- Toyota has no plans for a compact truck in the short term.
- The COO of Toyota North America said, “If the market is good, we might have something.”
- The compact truck segment is still quite small, with the Maverick being the best seller.
Toyota has no plans to launch a compact pickup to rival the Ford Maverick anytime soon. The automaker’s North American COO, Mark Templin, said consumers should “be patient.”
Templin, speaking at the JD Power Auto Summit during this year’s NADA show, said Automotive Newsadded, “If the market is good, we might have something.” He also noted that the entire compact segment remains small, with sales between 160,000 and 170,000 units.
Photo by: Toyota
This isn’t the first time a Toyota executive, including Templin, has talked about a compact truck. In 2024, Toyota North America CEO Ted Ogawa said in an interview that the automaker was “studying the area” but expressed concerns about affordability. In May 2025, Templin said the company was “looking at” a compact truck.
The Maverick is the segment leader; Ford sold 155,000 last year. Hyundai sells the Santa Cruz, but the carmaker stops production early due to disappointing sales: the Korean carmaker sold just over 25,000 pickups in 2025.
Ram has also indicated it is interested in a small truck in the United States, but CEO Tim Kuniskis said the brand will focus on launching its mid-size Dakota first before really considering something smaller.
Taking Motor1s: The Ford Maverick may be a huge success, but that doesn’t mean there’s a huge market for compact trucks. Toyota is right to be concerned, especially now that the Santa Cruz is leaving the segment early. Developing a new vehicle for the U.S. market isn’t cheap, and there’s no clear indication that a small truck would be worthwhile for the Japanese automaker.
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