Scion Pickup Truck Rumored to be Based on Toyota RAV4

When last we spoke to Scion boss Jack Hollis, his interest in a small truck for the youth brand was undeniable. Now reports of increased production at the automaker’s RAV4 facility in Woodstock, Ontario have spawned new rumors about the as yet unconfirmed sixth model in the Scion lineup.

Increased production of the RAV4 (up by 25%) could simply be a method Toyota is using to keep costs down by reducing the number of RAV4 models it imports from overseas. However, it also supports the possibility that Toyota will build a Scion truck based on the compact crossover platform.

Currently compact pickups are a dying breed, with CAFE rules penalizing smaller trucks that still aren’t tiny. Toyota has bucked this trend with the Tacoma, due mostly to the compact pickup’s dominance in the segment and Toyota’s continued efforts to be a player in the truck segment.

A unibody “truck” that is designed more as a lifestyle vehicle and less as a work machine would continue to help out Toyota’s fuel economy, and could also be rebaged as a Toyota model and sold overseas.

With Toyota currently offering both a 4-cylinder and a V6 in the RAV4, this might also make way for Scion’s first-ever six-cylinder model.

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