Will Scion inject freshness into America's stale compact pickup scene?

We know that Scion will launch a new tC coupe and a tiny little iQ minicar before the end of the year, but what comes after that? Yoshi Inaba, president of Toyota Motor North America, admits that the Japanese automaker hasn't yet decided what future products make the most sense for the youth-oriented Scion brand, but Scion General Manager Jack Hollis tells Wards Auto that a truck is a possibility.

Take a look at the current pickup truck market and you'll see that the only currently available machine that even remotely fits into the compact role is the Ford Ranger, which hasn't been updated in eons and sees its sales dwindle every single year (55,600 in 2009). This being the case, there may be room for a small urban pickup from Scion, though the automaker indicates it would need to be careful not to infringe on the class-leading Toyota Tacoma.

If Scion did indeed build a true compact pickup with an eye toward reasonable fuel efficiency, what would it look like? Perhaps an xB with a small bed? Or might it look something like the Hako concept from the 2008 New York Auto Show (perhaps in modified form)? Refresh your memory of that odd-looking show car by perusing our high-res image gallery below.

[Source: Wards Auto]