Toyota Patent Hints at New Car-Based Pickup With a Clever Cargo Bed

Toyota may be developing a new compact pickup that would compete with the Ford Maverick. The company has yet to reveal plans for a production vehicle, but a recently published patent has journalists wondering what the truck could be. The document describes a mechanism that can increase the usable length of the cargo bed without changing the vehicle's exterior dimensions.

The idea of a compact pickup based on the Toyota RAV4 has been discussed for some time as a potential project to compete with the Ford Maverick. Toyota has not officially confirmed the project, but the company's new patent has once again drawn attention to the still-secret vehicle.

Toyota filed the application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in February 2025. The document covers a device for increasing cargo-bed length, with the entire assembly capable of retracting into the tailgate.

The mechanism is based on a U-shaped frame. When folded, it sits inside the tailgate and barely extends beyond the body.

After the tailgate is opened or closed, the frame can be rotated outward. In its working position, it forms additional side supports and crossbars, increasing the space available for carrying long items.

The design includes a pivot hinge and a locking mechanism. For storage after use, a separate compartment is built directly into the tailgate, so the owner would not have to remove the assembly or leave components protruding outside.

The solution differs from conventional external bed extenders, which are installed separately on pickups. Toyota proposes placing the entire mechanism inside the body while preserving the vehicle's compact exterior dimensions.

Such a system could be useful for carrying long items. The patent description mentions lumber, ladders, pipes, furniture, bicycles, and canoes.

The practical value of the design could become one of the compact pickup's main features. Additional cargo-bed length would be available only when needed, while the mechanism would not increase the vehicle's dimensions in its normal configuration.

It is still unknown when such a pickup could arrive. Earlier rumors suggested that the vehicle could use the RAV4 platform, which in theory could also mean inheriting the crossover's design. However, until test prototypes hit the road for their first trials, it is too early to speculate about that.