Perhaps in response to the criticism that Toyota has received over the past year from environmentalists for its ever larger and thirstier trucks, the Japanese automaker is switching direction with its 2008 Detroit concept - the A-BAT hybrid pickup concept. Toyota and Nissan pioneered the idea of modern compact pickup trucks in the U.S. market, but Toyota has largely left it behind over the past decade. The new A-BAT concept pickup is 27 inches shorter than an extended cab Tacoma and nine inches shorter than the regular cab model. In profile, the uni-body truck looks somewhat like a shorter Honda Ridgeline with rounder contours. The A-BAT is the first Toyota to have a mid-gate allowing cargo longer than the standard four-foot bed to extend into the cab. With the tailgate down, drivers can pack the proverbial 4x8 sheet of plywood. Power for the A-BAT comes from Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive mated to a four-cylinder engine, although so far there is no indication of which wheels get propulsion. Based on the snub-nosed styling, it seems probable that the engine is transversely mounted and driving the front wheels, but we'll find out for sure when the A-BAT officially debuts at the 2008 North American International Auto Show in Detroit next month.
Source: Toyota
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