Toyota’s Tiny Truck of Tomorrow Is a Modular, Packable Pickup You Can Have Your Way

As much as I love watching reruns of Top Gear and The Grand Tour, I’ll admit, sometimes, the gags can be a little too silly; others, the scripting can be a little too transparent.

Still, throughout their time as hosts on both of these shows, Clarkson, Hammond and May participated in any number of incredibly ambitious challenges — and in some of the most inhospitable locations on Earth.

One that sticks out in particular is the Mongolia Special, because it tasked the trio with building a car from a kit that had been delivered into the far reaches of Asia. As ambitious as it sounds in theory, it’s now more than just an absurd bit done for entertainment.

Toyota

That’s because, coincidentally, this is more or less the kind of vehicle that Toyota has in mind with its latest pickup truck concept.

Pack-flat crude cab

It’s called the ‘IMV Origin,’ and it made its debut at the Japan Mobility Show this week as part of Toyota’s “mobility for all” initiative.

If the pickup appears to be more than a bit unfinished, that’s because it’s supposed to be. The Japanese automaker envisions the IMV Origin as a vehicle for people living in rural villages and remote locations. It’s meant to leave the factory partially assembled, empowering locals to finish the job.

Toyota

According to Toyota, the decision to ship the truck incomplete would come with two primary benefits.

For starters, doing so would prove assembly work for the local labor force. Toyota designed the IMV Origin such that it requires only basic tools to be made functional.

What’s more, by leaving the truck in an unfinished state with a modular design, Toyota sees the vehicle as a blank canvas that can be customized according to its best use case.

Toyota

As such, whether needed for carrying people or cargo, the pickup could provide whatever utility is most relevant to local needs.

Of course, as a carmaker, Toyota couldn’t help but note that “not finishing this vehicle was frustrating.” Nevertheless, the concept of “deliberate incompleteness” was necessary for the Origin to be a “for you” car.

Toyota

Not Toyota’s first IMV

If you’re a fan of small trucks, you’ll know that this is not Toyota’s first Innovative International Multi-purpose Vehicle (IMV). The Japanese automaker announced the program in 2002, and it subsequently expanded it to include everything from pickups to minivans.

Toyota

More recently, Toyota introduced the IMV 0 concept at the 2023 Japan Mobility Show, only to later launch the truck as a production pickup under the Hilux Champ nameplate.

Between an affordable starting price (equivalent to about $10,000) and a modular design facilitating easy customization, the ASEAN-market offering previewed many of the qualities that have since made Slate’s EV pickup so popular.

Toyota

As such, considering the many different takes (from street truck to overlander) that emerged based on the IMV 0 concept, Toyota likely isn’t finished showcasing the potential for its new IMV Origin.

Moreover, given that the IMV 0 eventually materialized as a production offering in the form of Hilux Champ, it’s hardly far-fetched to imagine something like this making the jump to reality. After all, it’s not like it falls on Toyota to finish the concept.

Toyota

That said, I wouldn’t hold out hope for something like this landing in the United States any time soon. Toyota has kept its prior IMV offerings exclusive to countries like Indonesia and Thailand, and for good reason — something this small would be little more than a speed bump on American roads.

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