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Still unnamed junior sibling of the Hilux will be a unibody offering and possibly offer only hybrid powerplants.
Concept EPU is said to have provided a preview of Toyota’s incoming 2027 small bakkie. Image: Toyota
Toyota’s long rumoured small bakkie, said to be based on the Corolla Cross, remains on track for arrival in 2027 despite little still being known.
Getting there
First mentioned in 2022 by senior Toyota executives in the United States as an entry-level offering below the Stateside sibling of the Hilux, the Tacoma, the still unnamed model has also been rumoured to be possibly based on the underpinnings of the RAV4, with power coming solely from hybrid powertrains.
ALSO READ: Official: Toyota Corolla Cross-based small bakkie going ahead
“If there’s a customer that needs a rugged, smaller body-on-frame vehicle, we can consider that, but if it’s more for urban use and less extreme off-road, then it would make more sense to use the TNGA unibody platform,” Toyota Group North America Vice-President of Product Planning and Strategy, Cooper Ericksen, told MotorTrend at the time.
A departure from the Hilux Champ/Hilux Rangga that uses the current Hilux and Fortuner’s IMV 0 platform, the “Corolla Cross bakkie” will either use the TNGA-C platform, or, should it be based on the RAV4, the larger TNGA-K that also underpins the Camry and current Lexus models.
South America first?
Therefore, becoming a unibody product similar to the Ford Maverick, Honda Ridgeline and Hyundai Santa Cruz in the States, as well as the Ram Rampage, Chevrolet Montana and Fiat Toro in Brazil, a trademark submission for the Stout name is known to have been submitted in Argentina, where production could take place for Latin American markets.
Supposedly previewed by the electric EPU Concept shown at the Tokyo Mobility Show two years ago, the most recent report alleged that Brazil had been given the go-ahead at the Sorocaba Plant in the state of São Paulo for the start of production.
According to the newest findings by Automotive News, the bakkie remains part of Toyota’s plans, with 2027 still being mentioned as the year of the reveal.
The opposition
Despite the comparison with the Corolla Cross, whose largest powertrain displaces 2.0-litres with or without hybrid assistance, the supposed link-up with the RAV4 could yield a maximum displacement of 2.5-litres, as well as a plug-in hybrid option.
Shown back in May, the new sixth generation RAV4 makes exclusive use of hybrid propulsion, with respective outputs of 166 kW and 174 kW, and 235 kW for the plug-in hybrid.
By comparison, the smash-hit Maverick can be had with either a conventional 2.0-litre EcoBoost petrol or a self-charging 2.5-litre hybrid, while the Santa Cruz omits electrification completely by offering its own 2.5-litre unit with or without turbocharging.
Completely the opposite is the Ridgeline, which uses a normally aspirated 3.5-litre V6 as its only option.
More soon
Given the gradual emergence of rumours and speculative reports over the last three years, expect more to become apparent heading into 2026.
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