Photograph: KDesign AG / Behance
Anyway, the corporate shouldn’t be stopping there, as there are extra heroes to take out – the subsequent 4Runner, the most recent Camry, and so forth. However, because it seems, the rumor mill is repackaging an outdated whisper into new wrappings. Not way back, as soon as it grew to become clear the Hyundai Santa Cruz was no match for the electrified Ford Maverick within the struggle for unibody compact pickup truck supremacy, a whole lot of rumors swirled round a possible revival of the long-lasting ‘Stout’ nameplate for a compact pickup truck designed for America.
Now, after the 2024 Land Cruiser hype wound down a bit of bit, the rumor mill caught a brand new whisper that Toyota is now enthusiastic about a better transfer – a pickup truck by-product of the Corolla Cross. That is a few ranges beneath a possible vintage-oriented revival of the Stout moniker, frankly, but it surely’s additionally cheaper and simpler to facilitate from the technological standpoint.
As for the design ethos, don’t ask me as a result of I actually suppose the Corolla Cross appears nice as a standard crossover SUV however was by no means supposed by its designers to function a possible base for a compact pickup truck. As such, it has nothing to do with the sensible model these fashions want to draw their shoppers. Simply have a look at the Santa Cruz and Maverick case – which one is rugged, and which is trendy, and the place do the deliveries stand between them?
Exactly, the tougher-looking Maverick is promoting approach higher – additionally as a result of it is electrified and barely extra reasonably priced, in fact. Anyway, it was solely logical that the rumor of a Corolla Cross pickup truck would journey even throughout the imaginative realm of digital automobile content material creators. Extra exactly, Kleber Silva, a Brazil-based digital artist often known as KDesign AG on social media, jumped at it and has determined to have a CGI go at imagining the upcoming Corolla Cross pickup truck with a little bit of added aptitude.
So, whereas the entrance is obvious and easy – instantly lifted from the common Corolla Cross crossover SUV, the four-door pickup truck attract was borrowed from the present Fiat Toro compact mannequin to compose the look. Nonetheless, the pixel grasp did not cease there, as he additionally took a swing on the cool styling of the 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser and stole the concept for upright LED taillights from there. So, do you prefer it or not?
I really feel that it might solely be possible if Toyota managed to combine and match this hypothetical Corolla Cross with the highly effective 196-hp hybrid powertrain. However then it must squeeze the MSRP all the way down to Ford Maverick XL Hybrid ranges (2024 mannequin yr begins at $24,900), which might be virtually not possible given how the 2023 Corolla Cross Hybrid crossover SUV already begins at a a lot increased threshold of practically $28k!