Toyota Teases Stout Revival To Battle Maverick And Santa Cruz

Rumors surrounding Toyota's supposed entry into America's lucrative small truck segment (slotting below the Tacoma) have been around for almost a year. Although Toyota USA recently stated - just this week - that it does not have anything planned, it has admitted that it's keeping a close eye on the market.

However, with its latest Instagram post, it appears the company's up to something... or it's just having fun riding the waves of speculation.

The short video below highlights a pristine-looking, white 1966 Stout 1900 - Toyota's light truck sold from 1964-1967. The Stout is chief among the rumored nameplates to be reincarnated to fight the dominance of the Ford Maverick. Is Toyota USA teasing us already, or is it perhaps gauging interest from its fanbase?

Skimming through Toyota USA's Instagram account, the automaker has a penchant for featuring old vehicles from its portfolio as "Throwback Thursday" or "Flashback Friday" posts. Among the recent ones we saw was the Celica, whose return also stirred the beat before but to no fruition (yet).

We also saw the 1972 Corona, but perhaps the original Land Cruiser teaser was the most intriguing throwback that saw a successful return. It eventually gave birth to the new Land Cruiser last month, which sports some retro design cues, much to the delight of many.

Of note, the latter was really a teaser for a confirmed model, unlike the others that were posted mainly for nostalgic purposes.

Then again, we can't help but notice the impeccable timing. As mentioned, the small truck segment is an emerging, lucrative market, enough for Ford to have a hard time keeping up with the demand. Even Toyota dealers have been raring to have a Maverick fighter in their showrooms. If Toyota wants to take the fight to the Blue Oval, now's certainly the right time.

Whether this latest social media post was just a coincidence or Toyota's way to whet our appetites remains to be seen. We'll keep an ear to the ground, and I'm sure you will, too, especially if you've reached this part.