Toyota Isn’t In A Rush To Build A Ford Maverick Rival: ‘Be Patient’

• Toyota has no plans for a compact truck anytime soon.
• Toyota North America COO said, ‘When the market’s right, we may have something.’
• The compact truck segment is still fairly small, with the Maverick being the top seller.

Toyota has no plans to launch a compact pickup truck 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 at this year’s NADA show, according to Automotive News, added that, “When the market’s right, we may have something.” He also noted that the entire compact segment remains small, with sales in the 160,000-170,000 range. 

Photo by: Toyota

This isn’t the first time an executive at Toyota, including Templin, has spoken about a compact truck. In 2024, Ted Ogawa, CEO of Toyota North America, said in an interview that the automaker was “studying the area,” but raised concerns about affordability. In May 2025, Templin said the company was “looking at” a compact truck.  

The Maverick is the segment leader, with Ford selling 155,000 last year. Hyundai sells the Santa Cruz, but the automaker is discontinuing production early due to lackluster sales—the Korean automaker sold just over 25,000 pickups in 2025.  

Ram has also indicated it’s interested in a small truck in the United States, but CEO Tim Kuniskis said the brand will first focus on launching its mid-size Dakota before it truly considers something smaller. 

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Motor1’s Take: The Ford Maverick might be a huge success, but that doesn’t mean there’s a massive market for compact trucks. Toyota is right to be apprehensive, especially with the Santa Cruz exiting the segment early. Developing a new vehicle for the American market isn’t cheap, and there’s no clear sign that a small truck would be worth it for the Japanese automaker.  

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