Toyota Patent Hints at a Maverick-Fighting Unibody Pickup

Toyota may be moving closer to building a small unibody pickup, as a new patent filing reveals a truck-specific suspension mounting design. Earlier this year, a Toyota executive said the company could produce a Maverick-fighting truck "when the market's right," and this patent suggests that time might be approaching.

The patent addresses a known weakness of unibody trucks: under heavy loads, the rear suspension mounting towers can bend inward, causing the chassis to deform over time. In cars or crossovers, forces are transferred to other structures, but pickups lack that cross-bracing. Toyota's proposed fix involves welding a "strainer" part to the truck bed, with reinforced beads that spread the suspension strain.

The design also adds welded nuts to hold the rear shock in a strengthened area, keeping the wheel arches aligned even when fully loaded.

Interestingly, the patent also describes using the same design for a crossover, with the strainer removed and a rear cross-member added instead. That suggests Toyota is exploring a shared platform for both a pickup and a crossover. The move would aim to keep the truck durable for real work and off-road use, much like its larger models.

It's important to note that patent filings do not guarantee production. Companies often file patents solely to protect intellectual property, so this document cannot be taken as confirmation that a new Toyota pickup is actually coming.