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Toyota A-BAT Concept  (Source: Toyota)
Toyota gets back to its compact roots with new A-BAT pickup concept

Tech enthusiasts know that the month of January is usually reserved for the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and Macworld Expo. All of the latest tech gadgets and computing products are shown at both shows -- the omnipresent iPhone made its initial bow at this year's Macworld.

January, however, is also known for the biggest auto show in the world: the North American International Auto Show (aka the Detroit Auto Show). All of the world's major manufacturers debut new production automobiles as well as concepts during the Detroit Auto Show. Toyota is giving gear heads a sneak peak at one of its show attendees in the form of the A-BAT concept vehicle.

The Toyota A-BAT was developed by Toyota's Advanced Product Strategy group and Calty Design Research. In keeping with Toyota's efforts to make every one of its vehicles hybrid-equipped by the year 2020, the A-BAT naturally incorporates the Hybrid Synergy Drive with a naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine.

The A-BAT is a unibody-based pickup a la the Honda Ridgeline -- Toyota's two production pickups, the Tundra and Tacoma, are body-on-frame vehicles. The vehicle rides on a 112.2-inch wheelbase which could indicate that the Highlander donated its platform for the A-BAT. The short hood and cab-forward nature of the vehicle also seem to indicate a transverse engine layout which further solidifies the FWD-based assumption.

"Driving from beyond the suburbs to the city is a way of life for many people," said Kevin Hunter, president, Calty Design Research "We've taken Toyota's truck heritage to a different level by envisioning a vehicle capable of maneuvering the suburbs as well as dirt roads. This compact truck is as comfortable for long commutes as it is for road trips. It can accommodate outdoor toys and home improvement supplies. Plus, customers benefit from the hybrid powertrain's low emissions and fuel economy."

Despite the unibody construction and compact dimensions -- the A-BAT is over two feet shorter than an extended cab Tacoma -- the vehicle can still accommodate the requisite 4' x 8' plywood sheet.

Toyota is looking for ways to increase the efficiency of its fleet and reduce emissions. The company came under fire when it released the massive 5.7 liter V8-packin' Tundra earlier this year, so a production version of the A-BAT would make a nice addition to the Toyota portfolio.

A unibody-based pickup with a hybrid powertrain would have the advantage of improving Toyota's CAFE average in the face of stricter government legislation and appeasing the truck community that has seen the U.S. compact truck market all but disappear -- only the AARP qualifying Ford Ranger still ranks as a "true" compact while the Tacoma, Colorado/Canyon, Ridgeline, Frontier, Dakota and Sport Trac all dance in mid-size territory.

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What ever happened to...
By Jedi2155 on 12/28/2007 12:30:44 AM , Rating: 5
Utility over form...?

It seems like every year the pickup bed gets smaller and more room on the cabin...




RE: What ever happened to...
By Imaginer on 12/28/2007 12:52:24 AM , Rating: 5
Exactly. Looks like that is a 4 foot bed right there. Not my kind of truck...

Might as well get a wagon hybrid or a hatchback if one wants such a car. If it is suppose to be a truck, then it had better damn well be a truck.


RE: What ever happened to...
By PAPutzback on 12/28/2007 9:33:20 AM , Rating: 2
I don't think you'd want a yard of mulch stinking up the cabin of your explorer or hatchback. For hauling usage I'd take this truck over my Jeep Cherokee.

But they can't claim that back seat area as seating just like they should never have with the cherokee. Kids can't even sit back their in comfort without pressing their knees against the front seat. They should of made this a 3 person bench seat up front and gave the bed another two feet.


RE: What ever happened to...
By mindless1 on 12/28/2007 11:28:33 PM , Rating: 2
I used to haul mulch every year when I had an Explorer, not a big deal you just throw down a tarp and buy it in bags instead of loose. There was no odor problem once the mulch was removed and it was left to air out a few minutes. Besides, it's not like mulch is manure, it just smells woodsy unless it's something really old and waterlogged that sat around and rotted (which should be avoided for the more obvious reason that it's barely mulch anymore).


RE: What ever happened to...
By Mitch101 on 12/28/2007 10:51:21 AM , Rating: 3
Who knew my wife's mini-van would go to the local hardware store for sheetrock and plywood because I cant use the truck.


RE: What ever happened to...
By Alexstarfire on 12/28/2007 2:22:06 PM , Rating: 2
I may think that SUVs and pickups are useless for most people, but I certainly agree on that. If you're making a pickup, make it a God d@mn pickup. These hybrid POS pickups are useless to EVERYONE. What the heck are you gonna put in a 4 foot bed that you couldn't put in any other car, save mulch and stuff like dirt and sand. You can always get those in bags though.

These hybrid pickup SUV things are just stupid and I'm not sure how they "took off" so to speak.


RE: What ever happened to...
By 0roo0roo on 12/30/2007 12:25:32 AM , Rating: 2
i don't think so, unless you tow big loads most trucks/suvs are designed poorly for what people actually use them for.

theres probably a pass through door into the cabin for longer objects. so carrying mattresses and other things should probably be possible.


RE: What ever happened to...
By Gravemind123 on 12/28/2007 12:54:21 AM , Rating: 2
They need to take out the back seats, or make both rows smaller, get rid of that overhang thing behind the cabin and devote the space to the bed. Then they might have a better truck going.


RE: What ever happened to...
By retrospooty on 12/28/2007 11:13:13 AM , Rating: 2
They have that already. The mid size is called tocoma, and the full size is tundra. This is a different model that has a back seat.


RE: What ever happened to...
By FITCamaro on 12/28/2007 1:08:38 AM , Rating: 1
Too bad its totally useless as a pickup. That thing won't be able to tow shit. It'll basically be a toy so environmentalists who want to look macho can do so. Pickups are meant to work. Not save the environment.


RE: What ever happened to...
By Brandon Hill (blog) on 12/28/2007 1:16:33 AM , Rating: 5
LOL. Come to NC where Tacomas and F-150s are the new Camrys and Accords :D

The only pickups around here doing work are ones with a company name on the side or diesel one-ton trucks.

Pickups are fast becoming luxury bloat commuter vehicles; hence the leather, moonroofs, nav systems, heated seats, flip-down LCD DVD systems for little junior, etc.

As for saving the environment, what's wrong with a compact truck with a bed that gets good gas mileage? You talk like it's a BAD thing? Manufacturers aren't going to get to 35MPG CAFE by sprinkling fairy dust on their trucks.


RE: What ever happened to...
By Ringold on 12/28/2007 3:59:28 AM , Rating: 2
The first three lines read like something of an agreement..

quote:
what's wrong with a compact truck with a bed that gets good gas mileage?


A bed? That has a bed? I see a trunk with the lid missing more then I see a bed, unfortunately.

A compact truck was an S-10; room for 2 - 3, and a real bed. Small. Got the job done. Questionable reliability, but thats different.

I find it hard to disagree with FIT here.. This.. is a Camry, or RAV4 with a big trunk. Smaller SUV's existed to make men feel more macho than they would in a minivan, this is merely an extension of that trend. Vegetarian environmentalists can now think they're helping the environment (and hybrids have always been somewhat dubious anyway in this regard with the energy they require to build), while simultaneously being able to hang out with their blue-collar or Republican friends and say "See? I'm not a wimp!"

I'd just rather get a Tacoma, F150, Silverado, etc, but.. whatever floats peoples boat I suppose..


RE: What ever happened to...
By Ringold on 12/28/2007 4:22:15 AM , Rating: 2
A little Google reveals a bed length for the A-BAT of 48 inches.

Colorado: 60
F-150: 66 - 90
Ranger: 60 - 72
S-10: 72 - 90

2/3 to about 1/2 the size of an S-10s bed.

It's claim to fame, apparently, is that it can still hold a piece of plywood. Congratulations, Toyota. They also point out more bulky things can be taken along, if you manipulate the vehicle, but you can carry an amazing amount of crap in most car's if you don't car what and how much of it sticks out the windows, etc.. Especially convertibles..


RE: What ever happened to...
By Blight AC on 12/28/2007 8:45:48 AM , Rating: 2
Hrmm.. yeah I need a 6' bed so I can haul my Quad around. It's pretty much the only reason I need a pick-up bed (there are other things I would use it for, but that's my only real NEED for it). But if I were to get a truck it'd be my primary vehicle so 30+mpg and a good backseat for the family would also be needed. This looks like it might be close.. but the bed is useless if I can't fit the quad.


RE: What ever happened to...
By Spuke on 12/28/2007 9:47:04 AM , Rating: 2
Some of the smaller sport quads might fit but a utility quad barely fits in a 6' foot bed.


RE: What ever happened to...
By Blight AC on 1/4/2008 9:19:48 AM , Rating: 2
It's a Yamaha Raptor 660, fits fine in a Dodge Dakota bed.


RE: What ever happened to...
By Brandon Hill (blog) on 12/28/2007 10:00:09 AM , Rating: 2
Toyota:
quote:
The A-BAT features a four-foot bed, but has more flexibility than the standard pickup truck. A translucent roof panel slides open to allow for tall cargo in the cab. When the pass-through midgate is folded down into the cab the bed lengthens an additional two feet. An open tailgate provides an additional two-foot of bed length. The A-BAT offers customers the versatility of hauling a standard 4x8 sheet of plywood one day, then taking a family on a camping trip to the lake the next.


So it has a mid-gate like the Chevrolet Avalanche and a flip-down tailgate guard that you can get with just about any pickup truck these days from the factory.

Doesn't seem so unreasonable. You get 6-feet of "enclosed" bed space with the midgate down and 8-feet with the tailgate down and a flip down tailgate guard.


RE: What ever happened to...
By Ringold on 12/28/2007 4:30:21 PM , Rating: 2
Flip down the tail gate in any other truck, and you have up to 9.5ft or more of bed space.

My point is, it's smaller than almost any other so-called "truck" I've ever seen.

Google is strangely resisting my attempts to verify this, but just eyeballing pictures it looks like an El Camino may have had more bed space...


RE: What ever happened to...
By Brandon Hill (blog) on 12/28/2007 5:45:37 PM , Rating: 2
Who says that everyone needs an 8-foot bed?

This is a compact truck. If you want a mid-size truck, get a mid-size truck. If you want a full-size truck, get a full-size truck.

What's wrong with choice? Sure, the bed is small, but with the mid-gate down, it can haul a decent bit of cargo.

I really don't see what the whole fuss is about.