Remember the Toyota Stout? In 1964, a compact truck was introduced. Compact pickups were not yet a thing. Why suddenly bring up a pickup which hasn’t been around for decades? Rumors say that the Stout could be returning. Ford Maverick is a popular compact pickup, and there’s a demand for one that is easy to drive in the city but is not too heavy or big to create its gravitational force.
It would be great to bring back the Stout, especially because Toyota dominates the midsize segment with its Tacoma. This is proof that Toyota knows a lot about pickups. What can we expect from Toyota, the original compact truck pioneer, if it decides to bring the Stout back in 2023?
2025 Toyota Stout EV Review
In 1964, it had been several decades since the end of World War II. The compact Toyota Stout came about at a period when Toyota was still testing the North American auto market. Fuel was cheap, as it was before the Oil Crisis of 1972 that made fuel-efficient compact cars more attractive. The Toyota Stout’s small size and tiny 1.9-liter motor shouldn’t appeal to North American buyers. It was surprising that it worked, and Toyota created the Hilux, which has become a worldwide success.
The compact pickup segment thrived in 2023, and it is mostly because of the Ford Maverick. Hyundai’s Santa Cruz, which is based in Tucson, didn’t do as well as they hoped. Toyota can learn from this what made the Maverick popular and what to avoid if it decides to revive the Stout.
Changes
If you want to know why the rumors about a Stout revival are circulating, then we need to go back to 2022. That’s when it was announced that Toyota had recently registered the nameplate ‘Stout.’ This could be a sign of the Japanese automaker’s intention to use the Stout brand name in a new model.
Jack Hollis Senior Vice President of Automotive Operations, at Toyota North America, hinted that the company was interested in a smaller pick-up. Hollis said in a 2022 article that the current North American model line has room for a compact pickup. These are just rumors and may not translate into a Stout production. The existence of these rumors suggests that Toyota is interested in reviving its once-popular North American experiment that was a success.
Let’s say that Toyota confirmed that the Stout was on its way to production. What pickup is Toyota planning for the compact Stout model? Toyota is likely to follow Maverick’s lead since it doesn’t offer a body-on-frame platform. We can then look at Toyota’s TNGA platform for a potential future Stout.
The Stout, like the Maverick, could get a hybrid powertrain. Most likely it would be the new 2.4-liter turbo hybrid system of the Crown crossover sedan based on the TNGA platform. The 340 horsepower is a significant improvement over the hybrid drivetrain in the Maverick. Entry-level models can be equipped with the 2.5-liter hybrid engine that is also found in the Crown. It has 219 horsepower and is more powerful than the Maverick’s hybrid.
Rumors suggest that the Stout may go the entire electric vehicle route. Toyota may decide to create a derivative platform based on the eTNGA that is used by the bZ4X if they choose this path. Platforms for the bZ4X, RZ, and e-TNGA are not proportioned to be suitable for pickups, but there are packaging benefits of an EV platform. They could also create a new platform, which is not impossible, since Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda announced their intention to release 16 new EVs by the end of the year 2021.
Akio Sato’s successor, Koji Sato will continue to follow the same path as his predecessor, who was unwilling to commit Toyota to an all-electric world. Sato-san, who is the new president of Toyota, will focus more on EVs than his predecessor, even though the company continues to invest in hybrids and hydrogen. Sato-san is more likely to bring an electric Stout into production than Toyoda’s predecessor.
Futures
What will the future Toyota Stout look like, whether Toyota chooses to go hybrid or electric? We’ll have to look at the 16 EV models that Toyota showed in December 2021. Specifically, it’s the Toyota Compact Cruiser EV Concept. The future Toyota Stout may combine the look of the Compact Cruiser EV Concept with the recent Tacoma. Toyota could aim for a rugged, upright design, with flared wheel arch, wide shoulders, and a boxy form. LED exterior lighting, along with features like a spacious bed and power ports, or even a portable speaker similar to Tacoma’s JBL sound system could be on the agenda.
The future Toyota Stout could be a hybrid or electric compact pickup that follows in the footsteps of Tacoma or even surpasses it. The Toyota Audio Multimedia system with Apple CarPlay wireless and Android Auto is a possible tech feature, as well as a JBL audio system and digital instrumentation. The interior could be a playful, rugged design, using durable, colorful materials.
The Comeback
The Stout is a name that not many truckers can recall, but it was an important player in those days. It was a groundbreaking move for the Japanese automaker and will be again. In the 1960s, Toyota was a relative outsider in the US market. The compact pickup was introduced and enjoyed a short but successful run. The success of the compact pickup opened up the possibility for Japanese truckmakers to produce more vehicles. Hilux is one of the world’s most popular trucks and was one of Stout’s successors. We won’t make too much noise by saying the most durable.
Both options above are cool if you consider their original appearance. Stout could revert to its previous position as a small vehicle. Toyota could also go for a more revolutionary approach by making Stout the first electric truck. The nameplate has been registered, and the company is planning something with Stout. Plus, different chiefs of the manufacturer have confirmed an interest in both electric and small trucks. The information is not specific to Stout, so it could be a big deal or nothing.
2025 Toyota Stout EV Price & Release Date
We’ve seen that EV trucks can be affordable. In the case of Stout’s EV version, the price could start under $30,000. The 450-mile Chevrolet Silverado EV Work Truck, for example, starts at $39,900. Since Toyota has the economies that allow it to do this, creating an affordable electric compact truck won’t be difficult, if at all.
If Toyota chooses the hybrid route, it could easily match or beat the Maverick’s $22,195 base price. Toyota Motor North America’s Executive Vice President for Sales Bob Carter hinted that a confidential company briefing could be held in June 2023 during an interview with MotorTrend in 2022. He said, “Chances maybe we will have HQ Confidential 3, [in June] next year. So we’ll have more things to discuss.”