Photo: KDesign AG / Behance
Toyota is gearing up to potentially introduce two new models at the upcoming Los Angeles Auto Show (November 17-26) – the latest Crown body style and possibly the ninth global generation (XV80) of the best-selling Camry mid-size sedan.
However, only some are ready to let go of the company's recent participation in other mobility events and their focus on pickup trucks. If the 2023 SEMA Show marked Toyota's impending introduction of the mid-size N400 Tacoma, the inaugural edition of the Japan Mobility Show – formerly known as the Tokyo Motor Show for almost seven decades – was all about smaller workhorses.
Just think about it. At home in Japan – at the Tokyo Big Sight International Exhibition Center – the crowds were greeted by the Innovative International Multi-Purpose Vehicle 0 (IMV 0)and the EPU pickup truck, among other concepts the company brought to JMS. And if you think the IMV 0 looks exactly like a modern Stout revival should, you're probably not too far away from everyone's line of thought.
However, given its diminutive size and despite its multi-purpose focus, there are slim chances its series-production version might hit North American shores. Instead, the EPU pickup truck has way better chances – if Toyota decides to join the EV revolution with a compact workhorse, that is. That is a big if; however, it's not insurmountable when dealing with the imaginative realm of digital car content creators.
As such, Kleber Silva, a Brazil-based virtual artist known as KDesign AG on social media, has decided to ignore the upcoming LA Auto Show novelties and instead have a CGI go at imagining the series-production EPU for the global markets. The artist's design project is a compact-to-midsize pickup truck that takes most of the styling from the EPU concepts and only streamlines the details for series production with help from the bZ4X compact EV crossover SUV.
Frankly, that's not such a bad idea. The rumor mill has gone wild on numerous occasions regarding reports claiming that Toyota is looking into developing a rival to the Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz unibody compact pickup trucks. Some outlets mentioned the return of the Stout nameplate, while others claimed the company would cut some corners with a Corolla Cross-derived model. Now, there's also a third possibility – a fully electric EPU-like pickup truck.
And building it on an existing base is only logical, indeed. As such, if the company takes the stylish and modern EPU to the factory, it wouldn't be out of place to use some bZ4X styling inspiration along with the e-TNGA platform that's co-developed with Subaru to underpin an entire series of zero-emissions vehicles. After all, the best-selling Ford Maverick is already electrified, so Toyota would need to significantly up the stakes to ensure it can battle for the crown.
Just think about it. At home in Japan – at the Tokyo Big Sight International Exhibition Center – the crowds were greeted by the Innovative International Multi-Purpose Vehicle 0 (IMV 0)and the EPU pickup truck, among other concepts the company brought to JMS. And if you think the IMV 0 looks exactly like a modern Stout revival should, you're probably not too far away from everyone's line of thought.
However, given its diminutive size and despite its multi-purpose focus, there are slim chances its series-production version might hit North American shores. Instead, the EPU pickup truck has way better chances – if Toyota decides to join the EV revolution with a compact workhorse, that is. That is a big if; however, it's not insurmountable when dealing with the imaginative realm of digital car content creators.
As such, Kleber Silva, a Brazil-based virtual artist known as KDesign AG on social media, has decided to ignore the upcoming LA Auto Show novelties and instead have a CGI go at imagining the series-production EPU for the global markets. The artist's design project is a compact-to-midsize pickup truck that takes most of the styling from the EPU concepts and only streamlines the details for series production with help from the bZ4X compact EV crossover SUV.
Frankly, that's not such a bad idea. The rumor mill has gone wild on numerous occasions regarding reports claiming that Toyota is looking into developing a rival to the Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz unibody compact pickup trucks. Some outlets mentioned the return of the Stout nameplate, while others claimed the company would cut some corners with a Corolla Cross-derived model. Now, there's also a third possibility – a fully electric EPU-like pickup truck.
And building it on an existing base is only logical, indeed. As such, if the company takes the stylish and modern EPU to the factory, it wouldn't be out of place to use some bZ4X styling inspiration along with the e-TNGA platform that's co-developed with Subaru to underpin an entire series of zero-emissions vehicles. After all, the best-selling Ford Maverick is already electrified, so Toyota would need to significantly up the stakes to ensure it can battle for the crown.
Google News