Is Toyota Developing a Rival for the Ford Maverick?
Not content with dominating the midsize pickup segment in North America, Toyota Motor Corporation now has its sights set on the compact niche where the Ford Maverick is the undisputed leader.
The Japanese automaker had already dropped some hints about its intentions months ago, when its CEO for this region, Ted Ogawa, said in an interview that dealers are asking for a more affordable product that’s smaller than the Tacoma.
The executive then considered the possibility of producing a unibody pickup based on the RAV4, but declined to provide further details and noted that the decision would take time.
However, new reports from the trade press indicate that Toyota is seriously working on developing a rival to the Ford Maverick, as revealed by a patent filed by the company with the intellectual property regulatory authorities in the neighboring country.
The patent, initially reported by Carbuzz, details a suspension mounting system specifically designed for pickup trucks that aims to overcome some of the design drawbacks found in traditional unibody pickups.
Added to this system is a new support bracket that enhances rigidity, ensuring the truck is as robust as the company’s full-size pickups, especially in the cargo area.
In a typical monocoque vehicle, the rear suspension is mounted on the body, within the wheel well; however, when carrying a heavy load, the base and the fenders in general can gradually lose rigidity and become deformed due to bumps and uneven terrain.
Toyota’s solution describes how to weld what it calls a “filter” to the truck bed to distribute the load stress from the suspension.
The new part features multiple folds, similar to those made in a metal panel to increase its resistance to bending. There are also new folds in the rear fender itself for the same purpose.
The design also incorporates new welded nuts to secure the rear shock absorber to the body at one of these reinforced folds. This increased strength is sufficient to keep the fenders properly aligned even when the vehicle is fully loaded.
Most interestingly, according to the Carbuzz report, the patent describes how the same design could be used in a crossover—in which case the filter would be omitted and a rear crossmember would be installed instead.
This indicates that Toyota is considering producing a crossover, such as the RAV4, and a pickup truck on the same platform.
However, the same report acknowledges that patent applications do not guarantee the use of such technology in future vehicles, and that they are often used merely as a way to protect intellectual property; therefore, the filing cannot be interpreted as confirmation that the monocoque compact pickup will be released in the near future.
