2025 TOYOTA STOUT EV: EVERYTHING YOU CAN EXPECT

The Toyota Stout, a compact pickup, might be making a comeback due to the success of the Ford Maverick and demand for smaller, maneuverable pickups.
Rumors suggest that the Stout could be launched in 2025 as part of Toyota's electric masterplan, depending on the progress of their battery technology.
The revived Stout could be either fully electric or hybrid, with speculations pointing towards a design inspired by the Toyota Compact Cruiser EV Concept and the newest-gen Tacoma. The starting price is rumored to be around $23,000.

Remember the Toyota Stout? It was a compact pickup that was unveiled in 1964--a time when compact pickups still weren't a thing. But why the sudden urge to talk about a pickup that hasn't existed for decades? Well, rumor has it that the Stout might be making a comeback. With the Ford Maverick compact pickup selling so well, there is indeed demand for a compact pickup that's easy to maneuver in the city and isn't big or heavy enough to have its own gravitational pull. Bringing back the Stout would be a great idea, especially since Toyota has dominated the midsize pickup segment with the Tacoma--proof that Toyota does know a thing or two about making pickups.

We'd expect the Stout to make its triumphant debut to the US market by 2025, all a part of Toyota's electric masterplan slated for 2026. Of course, this all depends on how quickly the company can perfect its improved battery tech: which appears to be going well as of Q3 this year.

Updated on 5th September 2023: Although an official release date has not been made for the Toyota Stout, we can expect it to hit markets in 2025. Toyota has many plans to go electric by the end of this decade, with the Stout becoming a reality through battery advancement.

A Brief History Lesson Before We Dive In

The Toyota Stout was first unveiled in 1964.
Back then, compact pickup trucks weren't a thing/the demand was lacking.

It was 1964, and it’s been a couple of decades since World War II ended. Big cars were still a thing, and the compact Toyota Stout was created at a time when the Japanese automaker was still experimenting on the North American market. Fuel was still cheap as this was way before the 1972 Oil Crisis that made compact, fuel-efficient cars more appealing. With its small dimensions and tiny 1.9-liter engine, the Toyota Stout shouldn’t resonate well with North American buyers, right? Surprisingly, it did, and it was enough for Toyota to create the Hilux, which is now a global sales success.

Today in 2023, the compact pickup segment is thriving, but it’s mostly due to the existence of the Ford Maverick. The Hyundai Santa Cruz, based on the Tucson, didn’t sell as well as the South Korean automaker had hoped. With that in mind, Toyota could learn what made the Maverick so popular in the first place and what they should avoid doing if they decide to revive the Stout.

What Are The Chances Of A Stout Revival?

The Stout should be coming to market in mid-2024 for the 2025 model year.
Toyota has reportedly begun small-scale production on this EV.

As to why rumors of a Stout revival have been circulating, we have to travel back to 2022 when news came out that Toyota recently registered the 'Stout' nameplate. If true, then this is a sign that the Japanese automaker has intentions to use the Stout nameplate in a future model. The Stout fire was further fanned when Jack Hollis, Senior Vice President of Automotive Operations at Toyota North America, hinted at the company's interest in a smaller pickup.

In a 2022 interview, Hollis says that its current North American model range has space for a compact pickup. Since these are rumors, this may not exactly translate to a production Stout. Nevertheless, the existence of these rumors opens up the intent that Toyota has an interest in reviving the once-popular North American experiment that proved to be successful.

As of summer/fall 2023, Toyota has been hinting at a much closer debut of the all-electric Stout, which would join its planned 2025/2026 EV rollout. The company has pledged an entirely electric lineup of cars, ranging from trucks, SUVs, sedans, trucks, etc. Stout could easily make it onto the roster and has reportedly begun manufacturing in small batches.

It May Be Revived As An EV

The all-new Toyota Stout will likely be electric versus combustion.
Toyota has plans to go fully electric within the next decade.

Okay, so let’s assume that Toyota did confirm that the Stout is on its way to production. What kind of pickup does Toyota have in mind for the compact Stout? Since the Maverick is based on a unibody architecture—aka the Escape and Bronco Sport’s platform, Toyota could most likely follow that lead since the Japanese automaker doesn’t have a small body-on-frame platform. With that, we can look to Toyota’s TNGA-K platform as a possible candidate for a future Stout.

Like the Maverick, the Stout could also get a hybrid drivetrain—most likely the new 2.4-liter turbo hybrid setup of the TNGA-K-based Crown crossover sedan. This is good for 340 horsepower—which significantly outmuscles the Maverick’s hybrid drivetrain. The familiar 219-horsepower 2.5-liter hybrid that's also fitted in the Crown is a possible option for entry-level versions, which is still more powerful than the Maverick hybrid.

There are strong rumors that suggest the Stout could go in the electric vehicle (EV) direction altogether. If Toyota decides to go this route, it might be possible that Toyota could create a derivative of the e-TNGA platform that the bZ4X utilizes. The bZ4X and RZ’s platform isn’t proportioned well enough to suit a pickup, but then, the packaging advantages of a dedicated EV platform can’t be ignored. Of course, they could create a new platform altogether, and that's not far from the possibility since back in the end of 2021, Toyota President and CEO Akio Toyoda revealed to the world their intent to release 16 new EVs in the coming years.

History will dictate how Akio Toyoda doesn't want to commit to an all-electric future, and under Toyota's new President, Koji Sato, that's still mostly the case. Only this time, while the company will continue to be invested in hybrids and its commitment to hydrogen, Sato-san will double down its focus on EVs more than his predecessor. This means that the possibility of an electric Stout is higher under Sato-san than under Toyoda-san's leadership.

We're in the golden age of electric manufacturing, with brands like Toyota throwing in the towel and investing billions into greener, cleaner production and final vehicle models.

What Will It Look Like If It Turns Up?

Many guess that the Toyota Stout will have a similar look to the Compact Cruiser EV Concept.
The 2024/2025 Toyota Stout may also take inspiration from the newest-gen Tacoma.

Whether Toyota goes the hybrid or fully electric route, what is a future Toyota Stout going to look like? For that, we have to take a look at one of the 16 EV prototypes that the company showed in December 2021. Specifically, the Toyota Compact Cruiser EV Concept. A future Toyota Stout could blend the looks of the Compact Cruiser EV Concept along with some of the design touches from the recently unveiled Tacoma.

Therefore, an upright, rugged design with flared wheel arches, wide shoulders, and a boxy shape could be the aesthetic that Toyota may aim for in the future Stout. LED exterior lighting could be the flavor of the day, along with features such as a spacious bed with power ports or probably even a detachable portable speaker, just like Tacoma's optional JBL sound system.

Inside the future Toyota Stout, this electric or hybrid compact pickup could follow the technological footsteps of Tacoma or probably even exceed it. Tech features, such as the Toyota Audio Multimedia infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, are a possibility, along with a JBL sound system and the expected digital instrumentation. Just like the exterior, the interior aesthetic could skew towards the playful and rugged side of things, with plenty of durable but colorful materials to brighten up the interior.

The All-New Toyota Stout Could Have A Base MSRP Of $23,000

The 2025 Toyota Stout is rumored to have an MSRP starting at $23,000.
Toyota hopes to bring down the price of future releases to encourage more sales.

As we've seen in recent pickup unveilings, an EV truck has the potential to be affordable, and in the case of the EV version of the Stout, it could start at under $30,000. Per more recent reports, Stout will likely come to market in 2025 with a base price of $23,000. That would make it one of the most affordable EVs and compact trucks on the market. For reference, the 450-mile Chevrolet Silverado EV Work Truck starts at around $39,900, and since Toyota has the economies of scale to achieve such a feat, creating an electric compact truck at that competitive price tag won't be impossible, if not difficult.

On the other hand, if Toyota goes the hybrid route, then matching or beating the Maverick's base price of $22,195 could be a very easy feat to achieve. Apart from the new Tacoma, Toyota doesn't have any new pickups in the pipeline at the moment. Still, during a MotorTrend interview in 2022 with Bob Carter, then Executive Vice President of Sales for Toyota Motor North America hinted at a possible confidential company briefing in June 2023. He said: "Chances are we may have HQ Confidential 3 [in June] next year, so we'll have other things to talk about."

Again, the current economic state of the US and the world is feeling unstable to many shoppers and CEOs alike, so Stout would need to make a big splash to get people back to showrooms and dealer lots. People aren't buying cars like they used to because they can't afford them. Therefore, Toyota has the opportunity to release an incredibly affordable and sleek compact pickup by 2024, and we can only hope they'll fulfill this promise.

Toyota Has A Bold Plan To Fully Embrace EVs By 2026

Toyota plans to release an entirely electric lineup by 2026.
The Toyota Stout will likely be included in this plan.

As we head into the latter end of the 2020s, Toyota has unveiled plans to introduce an entirely new (and electric) fleet by 2026. In this release, customers will have various new models to choose from, all using a brand-new battery being developed by the Japanese company currently. Toyota said it aims to launch next-generation lithium-ion batteries in 2026, mainly focusing on the solid-state battery technology sector. The idea behind this is Toyota can expand current EV ranges from 300 to 750-900 by the time many of these electric sedans, trucks, SUVs, and work vehicles are released.

That would put them at the top of the food chain in terms of performance and battery range/charge time, which they need right now. The EV space has become cut-throat to the point many automakers are behind the trend and desperately trying to keep up. Tesla has made it hard to succeed in the electric space through its continued innovation, and with competitor brands of Toyota (Honda) developing better batteries and EVs as we speak: it's now or never.

The 2025 Stout would ideally be a taste of what the brand can do under a situation like this, pioneering the way for electric compact trucks moving through 2030. Of course, we will have to wait and see what happens: but for now, expect Stout by 2025.

2023-06-10T22:10:51Z dg43tfdfdgfd