Subaru and Toyota's first endeavor across the EV crossover SUV segment is already off to a rocky recall start, so perhaps the Japanese automaker would do well to consider other, more traditional prospects.
Maybe a compact unibody pickup truck would do the trick? As it turns out, earlier this month, the rumor mill caught wind of Toyota’s alleged internal considerations regarding a 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz and Ford Maverick-rivaling compact unibody pickup truck. And, naturally, that made the digital day for a bunch of virtual automotive artists.
For example, one CGI expert thought that a prospective Toyota compact truck should have some remixed CH-R and Hilux DNA. Now, the pixel master better known as SRK Designs on social media has decided to play with a different Japanese crossover and turn it into a slightly more logical unibody compact truck competitor for the hybridized Blue Oval.
So, following his recent stint with the pocket-sized Jeep Compass Trailhawk truck that should virtually give both Santa Cruz and Maverick a specialized, off-road-focused unibody truck headache, here is also a Toyota vision for enhanced sustainability. The RAV4 pickup would naturally piggyback on both the ICE and Hybrid models’ powertrains, thus representing a big threat to both Hyundai and Ford.
As for the styling cues, this unofficial behind-the-scenes making-of video (embedded below) shows the entire CGI thought process, from extending the wheelbase to dropping the rear hatch in favor of a practical truck bed, plus all the minute details that make out the difference between a successful model and a big flop.
So, do you think Hyundai Santa Cruz and Ford Maverick fans might have reason to switch to a Toyota? Or would the $26,975 (2022 RAV4) and $29,575 (2022 RAV4 Hybrid) bases represent an MSRP jump that is just too hard to swallow?
For example, one CGI expert thought that a prospective Toyota compact truck should have some remixed CH-R and Hilux DNA. Now, the pixel master better known as SRK Designs on social media has decided to play with a different Japanese crossover and turn it into a slightly more logical unibody compact truck competitor for the hybridized Blue Oval.
So, following his recent stint with the pocket-sized Jeep Compass Trailhawk truck that should virtually give both Santa Cruz and Maverick a specialized, off-road-focused unibody truck headache, here is also a Toyota vision for enhanced sustainability. The RAV4 pickup would naturally piggyback on both the ICE and Hybrid models’ powertrains, thus representing a big threat to both Hyundai and Ford.
As for the styling cues, this unofficial behind-the-scenes making-of video (embedded below) shows the entire CGI thought process, from extending the wheelbase to dropping the rear hatch in favor of a practical truck bed, plus all the minute details that make out the difference between a successful model and a big flop.
So, do you think Hyundai Santa Cruz and Ford Maverick fans might have reason to switch to a Toyota? Or would the $26,975 (2022 RAV4) and $29,575 (2022 RAV4 Hybrid) bases represent an MSRP jump that is just too hard to swallow?