10 Things To Know About The Upcoming Toyota Stout Compact Pickup Truck

Toyota hasn't revealed anything official about the upcoming Stout, but they certainly left us some tasty breadcrumbs to follow.

In 1964, Toyota decided to join the heavily-contested North American pickup truck industry with the Toyota Stout – a half-ton model that produced 86 hp from a 1.9-liter inline-4 engine. The Stout wasn't very successful as a nameplate in the US market, but it paved the way for the pickup trucks that Americans know well today – the Hilux, the Tacoma, and the Tundra.

Toyota USA recently launched the 2024 Toyota Tacoma, but even though the production "Taco" units haven't rolled out of dealerships yet, some Toyota fans and industry enthusiasts have already been abuzz about the possible reincarnation of the Toyota Stout. This time, however, many speculations point to the Stout's revival into the compact pickup truck class, instead of its original half-ton category.

In today's digital and connected world, automotive speculations aren't limited to vague rumors anymore. The smallest information leaks can trigger many well-founded hypotheses about a specific upcoming vehicle model, and these intelligent inferences can even be brought to life on our screens using digital renders made by automotive creative artists. The rumored Toyota Stout is no exception.

So what will the Toyota Stout look like? What engine will power the new Toyota Stout? What features and specifications will the Toyota Stout have? How much will the Toyota Stout cost, if ever? Here are 10 things that we can infer using all the available information based on Toyota's interviews, press releases, and existing models.

Toyota hasn't released any official information or even a teaser about the Stout. However, several very interesting pieces of information have led automotive industry analysts and enthusiasts into believing that Toyota's pioneer pickup truck nameplate in North America will come back after almost 60 years. First, Toyota registered the Stout name in Argentina. Second, Toyota North America's SVP of Automotive Operations, Jack Hollis, hinted at the company's interest in the compact pickup truck space that's currently unfilled in Toyota's vehicle lineup. Finally, Cooper Erikson – Toyota North America's SVP of Product and BEVs – revealed that Toyota is developing something that could slot under the midsize Tacoma.

With all these puzzle pieces available, it would not be unreasonable to infer that Toyota will re-introduce the Toyota Stout as a compact pickup truck, possibly with a hybrid or even a fully-electric powerplant option.

Based on the construction of Toyota's recently-redesigned models (e.g. Tundra, Tacoma, Highlander, RAV4, etc.), it will be safe to assume that the new Toyota Stout will use one of the platforms of the Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) program. The TNGA philosophy revolves around making new and shareable vehicle frames and powertrains that will improve on-road and off-road performance, as well as streamline the company's manufacturing processes.

The Toyota Stout will likely be an urban-oriented pickup truck with moderate trail capabilities. In this regard, the Toyota Stout will likely use the TNGA-K platform – the same one that currently underpins unibody compact and midsize sedans and SUVs such as the Camry, RAV4, Highlander, and Lexus RX.

Different creative artists have varying opinions about the external design basis of Toyota's rumored compact pickup truck. For instance, SRK Designs rendered a compact pickup truck based on the 2023 Toyota RAV4. Moreover, several other Toyota Stout digital renders (like the one in the linked video above) are based on Toyota's award-winning Compact Cruiser EV concept design. Finally, K Design suggested a new Toyota Stout that seems to borrow exterior design elements from the Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid.

We may still see a few more iterations of the new Toyota Stout's digital renders in the near future. Without any further clues from Toyota, digital artists may render the new Toyota Stout based on other TNGA models like the Highlander, the Sienna, or perhaps even the Tacoma.

Assuming that the new Toyota Stout will be using the TNGA-K platform, it's reasonable to believe that the compact pickup truck will adopt a gasoline powerplant or two from existing TNGA-K models like the RAV4 and the Highlander.

To illustrate, the non-hybrid 2023 RAV4 uses a 2.5-liter Dynamic Force I-4 engine that produces 203 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque. The 2023 Highlander, on the other hand, uses a 2.4-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder mill that churns out 265 horses and 310 lb-ft of twist.

Toyota has been electrifying its cars, SUVs, and pickup trucks using the hybrid technology that the company has pioneered and developed over the decades, starting with the Toyota Prius. The Camry, RAV4, Highlander, and Tacoma are but a few examples in Toyota's hybrid lineup.

The new Toyota Stout may adopt the RAV4 Hybrid's A25A-FXS powerplant – a 2.5-liter Dynamic Force gas engine coupled with two electric motors that produce a total system output of 219 hp. Alternatively, Toyota may also tune the same A25A-FXS hybrid engine more aggressively to produce a 243-hp system output, just like the company did for the 2023 Highlander Hybrid.

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As a monocoque pickup truck created primarily for highways and the urban jungle, the new Toyota Stout will likely use TNGA's new transmission options to transfer power to the wheels. Combined with the new engine options, these transmission systems were designed to produce a lower center of gravity, higher fuel efficiency, and better fuel economy.

Both the 2023 Highlander and the 2023 RAV4 use TNGA's Direct Shift 8-speed Electronically-controlled Automatic Transmission (ECT) for gas-only models or the Electronically-controlled Continuously Variable Transmission (ECVT) for the hybrid variants. If Toyota introduces an on-road performance trim for the new Stout, then it's also possible to see TNGA's 2nd-generation 6-speed Intelligent Manual Transmission (iMT2) that features automatic rev-matching and anti-stall functions.

Although unibody pickup trucks are more comfortable to drive on paved roads than the traditional ladder-frame trucks, the new Toyota Stout will probably retain some workhorse attributes that the original Stout extolled. At the very least, the new Toyota Stout should have higher towing and payload capacities than a compact crossover SUV. As a baseline, the 2023 Toyota RAV4 has a maximum payload capacity of 1,240 lbs and a tow rating of up to 3,500 lbs for the Adventure and TRD Off-Road trims.

The TNGA-K platform, however, has greater work capabilities than what the RAV4 is limited to. The 2023 Toyota Highlander, for instance, has a 3,500-lb towing capacity for hybrid variants and a 5,000-lb tow rating for its gas-only models. Moreover, the 2023 Highlander also has a 1,715-lb maximum payload capacity – even higher than the 1,685-lb payload limit of the 2023 Tacoma. If the new Toyota Stout does employ the TNGA-K platform, then the Japanese compact pickup truck will likely get a 5,000-lb maximum tow rating and a 1,700-lb payload capacity.

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The new Toyota Stout can look forward to a collection of highly modern infotainment systems, equipment, and passenger comfort and convenience features that Toyota has developed for the company's most recent models. For instance, both the 2023 RAV4 and Highlander have a base 8-inch infotainment system with wireless CarPlay and Android Auto, and the Highlander has an optional 12.3-inch infotainment head unit upgrade. Both of these TNGA-K models have access to an available JBL premium audio system for music connoisseurs.

Toyota can also outfit the new Stout with a fully-digital instrument cluster in either a 7-inch or a 12.3-inch screen format. These digital instrumentation systems can provide much more information to the driver than the old analog gauge clusters. Moreover, these digital clusters are also programmable so that the driver can select the best combination of vehicle information to display by default. Drivers can view the odometer, average fuel economy, average speed, cruise control guide, cruising range, AWD torque distribution, audio information, hands-free mobile phone notifications, the Eco Driving Indicator, and energy monitor for hybrid variants.

The new Toyota Stout will likely provide plenty of comfort, convenience, and safety features that one would typically find in city-oriented crossover SUVs. To illustrate, drivers and passengers can enjoy an available Qi-compatible wireless phone charging system to minimize the number of cables jutting out of the center stack. Like the current RAV4 and Highlander, the new Toyota Stout can also offer a colored Head-Up Display (HUD) with a speedometer, navigation, Road Sign Assist (RSA), and hybrid system indicators. An optional digital rearview mirror with an integrated HomeLink system is also a probable upgrade. SofText-trimmed power-adjustable seats may also come as an optional feature for the highest trim levels.

In terms of safety, the new Toyota Stout will have access to Toyota's most modern safety technology – the Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 (TSS 3.0). This safety suite includes features like the Pre-Collission System with Pedestrian Detection, Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, Lane Departure Alert With Steering Assist, Automatic High Beams, Proactive Driving Assist, and many more.

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Toyota's interest in offering a monocoque representative in the compact pickup truck class is likely due to the good sales performance of the Ford Maverick and the Hyundai Santa Cruz last 2022. To illustrate, Hyundai sold 36,480 units of the Santa Cruz in 2022 – a 263% increase from the previous year, which was enough to elevate the Santa Cruz to the top 15 best-selling pickup trucks in the US. More impressively, Ford already sold 74,370 Mavericks in 2022 – the compact truck's first model year. In 2022, the Ford Maverick already outsold its more seasoned midsize brother, the Ford Ranger (57,005 units).

The Ford Maverick currently has a starting price of $22,595 for the base XL trim and $28,355 for the top Lariat trim. The 2023 Hyundai Santa Cruz, which is trying to position itself as a more premium competitor, starts at $25,700 for the base SE trim and at $40,570 for the range-topping Limited trim. If Toyota does launch the new compact truck within 2024 for the 2025 model year, then the new Toyota Stout will likely be competitively priced against the current class leader, the 2023 Ford Maverick. This means that we can expect the new Toyota Stout to have a starting price of roughly $23,000 by the end of 2024.

Ron has worked in the strategy and marketing departments of a few automotive brands. When he's not writing about cars, he likes to analyze auto industry data to share with fellow enthusiasts.. or his pet dogs.