Toyota Corolla Cross-based pick-up tipped for 2027 – remember the Proton Arena?

A Toyota pick-up with Corolla Cross underpinnings could arrive in South America in 2027. If the idea of a passenger-car-based pick-up sounds familiar, Proton explored that formula more than two decades ago with the Arena.

The Toyota project is reportedly known internally as 150D and would sit below the Hilux, offering buyers another way into pick-up ownership.

A smaller Toyota pick-up is taking shape

Brazilian publication BlogAuto has captured a camouflaged prototype testing in Sao Paulo. It reports that the model will use Toyota’s TNGA architecture, with a longer wheelbase, structural reinforcements and a body developed specifically for its pick-up duties.

Production is tipped for Sorocaba, Brazil, alongside the Corolla Cross. The expected competition includes unibody pick-up trucks such as the Fiat Toro, Chevrolet Montana, and Ford Maverick. 

Petrol and electrified powertrains have been suggested, with a plug-in hybrid among the reported possibilities. 

What is confirmed for 2027?

Toyota Argentina president Gustavo Salinas has confirmed that the company will enter another segment with a new model in 2027. He also mentioned updates to the Hilux and SW4, the latter being the South American counterpart to the Fortuner.

He did not identify the new vehicle, however. La Nacion believes it is the Corolla Cross-based pick-up and points to a debut in the first half of 2027.

For now, that remains a reported timeline. Neither the Corolla name nor the pick-up’s final production details have been confirmed.

Proton was here with the Arena

Back in 2002, Proton introduced the Arena by adapting the Wira’s passenger-car foundations into a pick-up truck.

It retained a familiar-looking front end and a two-seat cabin, with an open cargo bed behind. Power came from a 1.5-litre petrol engine, paired with a five-speed manual gearbox driving the front wheels. Overseas markets such as UK and Australia, buyers knew it as the Proton Jumbuck.

The appeal was straightforward. You could carry items that would never fit comfortably into a Wira’s boot, while keeping the compact footprint and mechanical familiarity of a passenger car.

Could it work in Malaysia?

There is an obvious appeal for buyers who need a cargo bed occasionally but do not want a larger pick-up as their everyday vehicle. Size, running costs and pricing would matter more here than simply having a Toyota badge on the nose.

In this region, while Thailand is the biggest market for pick-up trucks, it remains to be seen if this Corolla Cross-based pick-up truck will be offered there. After all, Thailand offers the Hilux that you and me are familiar with, as well as the Hilux Champ, a low-cost, stripped down version of the Hilux. 

Whether or not a unibody pick-up truck will be offered in this region remains to be seen. What do you think? Should unibody pick-up trucks make a return here?