Toyota's Corolla Cross based ute spotted undergoing testing as a sub-2026 Toyota HiLux workhorse to target Ford Maverick

Toyota's new mini ute has been spotted on public roads.

Following on from the reveal of the little FJ LandCruiser, the company has now shrunk its ute.

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Brazilian outlet BlogAuto has captured a small camouflage ute undergoing testing, some digital renders from kdesignag on Instagram give us an idea what it could look like without camouflage.

and it is believed to be based on the Toyota Corolla Cross compact SUV.

That means it is likely based on Toyota’s TNGA-C platform, which also forms the base for the Toyota Corolla, Prius and C-HR, too.

Using that platform means the ute could have petrol, hybrid and plug-in hybrid options.

US outlet AutoNews first broke news of a Corolla-based ute in the works in 2024.

It claimed sources said a Corolla-based ute would debut in 2027. At the time Toyota US’s Chief Operating Officer Mark Templin said the company was looking at a small ute, according to The Japan Times.

"We could really do well in that segment, so we’re trying to do it,” Cooper Ericksen, a senior vice president in charge of planning and strategy at Toyota Motor North America, said in a separate interview with The Japan Times. "It’s a matter of timing,” he said.

SUV-based utes have had a renaissance recently, following the segments decline earlier this decade when vehicles such as the Ford Falcon and Holden Commodore utes were hits Down Under.

The Ford Maverick in the US is the best example. It is based on the Ford Escape SUV and has been a runaway success in North America.

Unfortunately the Corolla Cross-based ute appears to be a Latin American model only for now.

However, Toyota is also thought to be working on a larger RAV4-based ute recently.

Toyota’s North American Chief Executive Officer Tetsuo Ogawa said it is definitely a consideration.

“But for the compact truck? Definitely, we have such demand,” Ogawa said in an interview with AutoNews. 

“A RAV4-based pickup is an opportunity for us, and the dealers are waiting. 

“Maybe they say we need today or tomorrow, but it takes time.”