Compact Pickups Is Where The Battle For Ultimate Supremacy Will Be Won Or Lost

Are compact trucks just a new trend or will they reshape the automotive landscape for good?

Trends are a part of every industry and what was once popular may fade over time. Since the early 2000s, the demand for cars started shifting from sedans to pickups and SUVs. Manufacturers like Porsche who never made SUVs started making one because it made financial sense. Rolls-Royce and Lamborghini were very late to the game but the Urus and Cullinan are the brand's bestsellers even with expensive price tags. Even Ferrari which had sworn off SUVs at one point is now making one.

Crossovers have quickly shot up this ladder, grabbing a huge slice of this pie. As cheaper and more usable alternatives to full-size SUVs, they’ve quickly become a favorable one-car choice. Easy to maneuver around urban areas and parking spaces with the benefits of better gas mileage.

Pickups on the other hand have been in high demand for decades with the Ford F series pickups being the best-selling trucks in America. Trucks started small but have grown bigger steadily over the years. But with the release of the Maverick, Ford might have unlocked an explosive segment as many Maverick owners are trading in Crossovers like the Toyota RAV4. So if this segment for small trucks continues to grow, compact trucks may not only eat into sales of mid-size pickups but could also pose a threat to compact SUVs as well.

RELATED: How The Rumored Toyota Stout Could Disrupt The Compact Pickup Truck Class

Vehicles have become very expensive with the average price of a brand-new car at $48,000. The cheapest new car is around $20,000 which is great but now there are alternatives. New compact trucks now start under $30,000 with the Maverick being the cheapest with a base price under $24,000. This is great news for truck buyers who always wanted a pickup but couldn't afford one because they were expensive. With a compact truck, you can still stay under $30,000 with reasonable options.

Ford got so many pre-orders for the Maverick that they had to stop taking orders to help meet demand. What this means is there is an untapped segment of compact truck buyers that are underserved. Other major manufacturers can simply build a great compact truck of their own at an affordable price. The benefit here is the fact that the Maverick has such a low entry price.

This would force other automakers to also price their models similarly to at least have a shot at grabbing a piece of this pie. You can already see this with the Hyundai Santa Cruz, which costs $25,700. The Santa Cruz is the only other compact pickup on the market today and it looks radically different from any other truck. From the front, it looks exactly like the Hyundai Tucson with a truck bed but it is executed well.

RELATED: 3 Upcoming Compact Pickups That Should Worry The Ford Maverick

There seems to be a brand-new SUV lineup every year from almost every major manufacturer. In contrast, trucks in general take longer to see any major changes. But with strong numbers of the Ford Maverick (named the most satisfying truck of 2023 according to Consumer Reports ), you can expect more automakers to participate in this lucrative segment. This should lead to new vehicles built from scratch with new designs and innovations.

Rumors suggest that Toyota is also considering a small pickup, most likely to be called the Stout. Just like the Tacoma has been a great alternative to the full-size truck and a bestseller for the brand. A smaller truck with Toyota's new design could eat into Tacoma sales. Ram is already testing a compact unibody truck dubbed the Rampage. However, this model is currently being developed for South American markets and we can't confirm if it will make it Stateside.

Emissions regulations have become very strict in recent years. New emissions laws have become even tighter especially in Europe with most pickups being banned from urban areas. The immediate solution to this problem has been downsizing engines to smaller units to produce less harmful gasses. Adding forced induction also helps vehicles gain the power and torque figures needed to carry out their daily duties. But there are limits manufacturers can downsize before it becomes ineffective.

The introduction of compact trucks means less harmful gases are released when driving since there less mass to move. In addition, you won't need a big diesel engine to power them either, a smaller unit will work just fine. With lower emissions these trucks would be able to drive in more urban cities and being smaller would help them take up less road space.

Many of these trucks use diesel instead of gas and the reason for this is towing. A diesel truck can tow better and is the desired engine for this application. But these diesel engines are also needed the carry the mass of these full-size trucks on a daily basis without towing. Using a gas option for these big boys even without towing is not pocket friendly. Diesel vehicles get also better mileage and with full-size trucks that matters a lot.

Compact trucks can make use of smaller engines and even gasoline-powered engines. For truck owners, 95% of driving will be done without towing anything. But now, they have the option of having a truck with a bed that can carry some of their stuff and would be easier to drive around.

RELATED: 3 Advantages Of Compact Pickups Beyond Its Small Size

The reason crossovers became popular was simply because of their usability. They have smaller footprints and perform all the functions of a full-size SUV without much compromise. This is exactly what compact trucks aim to achieve while having a smaller footprint similar to crossovers but being more practical. These trucks are based on unibody platforms that blend the comfort and convenience of a crossover with the versatility of a truck.

The bestselling crossover in the U.S. is the Toyota RAV 4 and it is currently the vehicle most traded in for the Ford Maverick. Being a compact truck, it can become the perfect one-vehicle solution. Rumored models like the Toyota Stout, Dodge Dakota / Rampage, and Subaru Baja are all models that could take part in this new small truck renaissance. The original Subaru Baja was an interesting vehicle that was based on the Subaru Outback which was killed off before its prime, but the new one would do great in this market.

These trucks are also similar in maintenance costs to smaller SUVs. Without big engines, big tires and suspension, and heavy-duty parts they are economical to keep running and parts will be cheaper to replace. This also means better fuel economy for these trucks and the Maverick has been tested to match its EPA-tested 37 MPG combined rating (hybrid model). There is also a huge aftermarket support for trucks which means a vast array of accessories will be available to further modify these trucks to your taste.

Finally, the versatility of these trucks will make them the ideal one-car choice. Unless you want to tow something above 4,000 pounds these trucks will do everything you need. It can simply be a daily, weekend camper, workstation, and off-road vehicle. You can configure your truck anyhow you want with available OEM Parts and available aftermarket support. Never has a vehicle been able to combine so many configurations into one package and this is shaping up the becoming a future leader in the Automotive segment.

Davies is automotive writer with a deep passion for cars with an extensive knowledge of the automotive industry shared through his engaging and informative articles.