Toyota seriously considering A-BAT: The Prius of pickups?
click above for a high-res gallery of the Toyota A-BAT concept
We've harped on the fact that this market is ready for a small truck that splits the difference between full-sizers of today and compact pickups of yore. While many in the industry are skeptical about whether such a vehicle could be a sales success, Toyota is looking hard at the A-BAT concept, which debuted in Detroit as a vehicle that could slot in below the Tacoma.
Toyota execs are keeping a close eye on how the public responds to the hybrid trucklet while it makes the rounds of the national show circuit, and hopes that it garners the same amount of interest that the FJ Cruiser concept did, which was instrumental in bringing it to market.
While it's debatable that a hybrid truck sporting some of the high-tech features and unibody structure of the A-BAT is a viable product, the idea might be sound, and Toyota wants to be at the forefront of the small truck revolution if it does come to fruition.
[Source: The Car Connection]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
schneider 2:41PM (2/11/2008)
This too, please:
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/AutoshowMediaNav/articleId=href:0x2Fcontent0x2Finsideline0x2Fautoshows0x2Fsema0x2F20060x2Ftoyotafjcruisersofttop/firstNav=Gallery/photoId=32436
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Menice 2:46PM (2/11/2008)
you guys really like that?
i'm getting "old and set in my ways" way to fast.
too futuristic movie for me.
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Luis 4:35PM (2/11/2008)
I agree. I guess the Ridgeline wasn't ugly enough...
Nathan 4:50PM (2/11/2008)
This truck is fugly beyond all reasoning.
And splitting the difference between trucks of yore and today? That is the PROBLEM with current small trucks!
The perfect small truck would be the size of the early 90's Mazda pickups, with a little 4x4 action and a small displacement turbo diesel.
It doesn't need a nav system, or surround sound or a small V8. It just needs to be able to do the light hauling most households would like to do yet return adequate gas mileage. Oh, and manual too please.
Rogue_G 2:47PM (2/11/2008)
Ugh, not this again...
Listen, automakers of the world! NO ONE WANTS A CRAPPY PICKUP TRUCK! You buy a pickup truck because you a) want to haul butt and show off the red tan on your neck, or b) you want to actually carry/tow a very heavy load. There is not inbetween. Both have one solution: overkill chassis and beefy engine. Basically, don't bother selling it unless it can tow 6000 pounds MINIMUM or carry 2500 pounds MINIMUM. If it can't do that, it's not a damned pickup truck!
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sw 3:31PM (2/11/2008)
That's a bit extreme for someone wanting to tow a small trailer loaded up with a snowmobile or some other small thing. 6000 lbs is much more than most people would need or want to tow (due to the mileage posed by such a motor). All that being said the a-bat is a pretty ugly truck. Make it look better and there will a nice in the marketplace for it.
DKB_SATX 3:45PM (2/11/2008)
The Ranger sells, on an ancient platform and with much more limited capabilities than you describe. It sells primarily because it doesn't have any less-ancient competition, most of the other "small" pickup trucks have moved up the size/price ladder and don't offer a great alternative to a low-end full-sizer.
While I think the A-BAT is bat guano, I do think that a decent modern small light-duty truck would find a big market, especially if it got reasonable fuel economy. Those looking for penis compensation or who have heavy work to do can still pop for the thirsty full-size.
ledhed 3:01PM (2/11/2008)
A little too ugly for me...
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Devin 2:49PM (2/11/2008)
I'm sorry, but that thing is just butt-ugly. Toyota is making a habit of making the front end of their recent vehicles (especially concept vehicles) look like mismatched angles and obscure curvatures. The result is not pretty, and this "pickup" demonstrates it. I never thought that I would consider a Honda Ridgeline before any other "truck", but I would actually buy one of those before this POS.
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Koko 2:50PM (2/11/2008)
Why not just put the hybrid powertrain into a tacoma. That A-bat is horrendous looking. No one will argue with a more fuel efficiend truck. Just make sure it's got truck qualities. Not just a small bed that will allow it to qualify as one.
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calebe 3:04PM (2/11/2008)
sorry, I would buy the Indian Mahindra before i bought that.
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Jordan 2:54PM (2/11/2008)
I like GM's idea of a small pickup in the form of the GMC Denali XT. Not only does it look leaps and bounds better than this monstrosity, it is bound to be more athletic. Build the XT GMC!
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Hooper 2:57PM (2/11/2008)
"We've harped on the fact that this market is ready for a small truck that splits the difference between full-sizers of today and compact pickups of yore."
WTF? That's a perfect description of the midsize pickups on the market *right now*.
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wade 3:01PM (2/11/2008)
I drive a 2001 Nissan Frontier 4cyl, 5spd. It is VERY broken in and gets right around 26mpg in my (mostly) highway commute. I've been thinking about a new truck for some time, but I won't buy a new "truck" that gets less mpg than my Frontier.
Since my Frontier still runs great and looks good, I'm holding out until somebody offers a signficant advance in technology/useability. The Subaru Baja ALMOST met my typical (homeowner with a wife, two kids and a motorcycle) needs, but it didn't have the bed flexibility or the (likely) mpg of the A-BAT. I probably would have still bought the Baja, except for all that junk they mounted to the roof that couldn't be deleted. The A-BAT looks way cooler, probably gets significantly better gas mileage, and has way more cargo/passenger flexibility. But if it costs more than $22K, then I'm gonna keep driving my '01 Frontier.
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DKB_SATX 3:48PM (2/11/2008)
As a satisfied Subaru owner, I think it's pretty sad that the most flattering statement that I can agree with about the A-BAT's looks is that it's "cooler-looking than a Baja."
DarkKnight67 3:03PM (2/11/2008)
Does it's name come from the notion that was what they used to style it?
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Dave T. 3:05PM (2/11/2008)
Remember this is a compact not a midsize. The Denali XT concept was as big as a Colorado. This is as big as a RAV4. 187 inches long vs. 205 inches long. That's a BIG difference.
I don't think rednecks would buy this. But I think guys who commute a lot and don't want a lame economy car might buy this instead.
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mikomi 3:21PM (2/11/2008)
You are dead on. It's not meant to be real pick up.
Could this be Toyota trying to strike gold the way they did when the original Rav4 was first introduced? There was nothing similar when the Rav4 launched. It was small for an SUV, but it maintained a lot of it's car-based underpinnings (at the time it was essentially a Corolla with a taller ride height). Yet the Rav4 managed to muscle into the market and sold well.
Alpha 3:17PM (2/11/2008)
3 words: CAFE, CAFE, CAFE
;-)
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mikomi 3:14PM (2/11/2008)
This could be a niche waiting to happen, don't believe me? Then explain the CUV/XUV craze.
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