Scion Pickup Truck Still Possible Says Youth Brand's Boss

Small pickups have virtually gone the way of the dinosaur when it comes to the manufacturers in North America, but on the used market, they’re still popular with younger buyers, many of whom modify and personalize them.

Scion, Toyota’s youth brand has been all about personalization since it launched the original xA and xB; though it was the latter, a box on wheels that really helped cement the marque’s reputation. Now with four models in the lineup, Scion might be looking to branch out into a new segment and many believe a small truck would be the logical choice.

However, according to Jack Hollis, Scion’s vice president, it would have to be something a little more than just your standard pickup. “Scion is about innovation and doing things differently,” he said. “That’s why if we were ever to do something crazy, it would likely be more like a Surprise Utility Vehicle.”

In other words, it would likely take the form of a car based utility, possibly spun off the xB – think something along the lines of a modern day Subary BRAT (the Toyota A-BAT hybrid concept shown a few years ago springs to mind).

In the past Scion has even commissioned tuners to build a pickup based off of the xB for display at the SEMA Show. A similar production model would also line up against a possible Kia small pickup based on the Soul.

Hollis says that in order for such a project to get the green light, it would have to have a “strong value,” equation, meaning that much of its engineering would have to be borrowed from existing product lines, though he did say that platform sharing isn’t something the brand is considering for new vehicles, at least in the short term.

However, rumors that GM’s Chevrolet division might be considering a small truck of some description, might get the ball rolling at Scion. Stay tuned for further developments.

[Source: Pickup trucks.com]