America is crying out for a cheap truck. Companies like Ford and Slate are hoping to meet the demand, and each has a sub-$30,000 truck in the works.
But what if I told you that Toyota, a company famous for extremely durable and reliable trucks like the Hilux, has a truck available for as little as $12,500? And, as expected, it’s not something you can have in the United States.
What is the Toyota Hilux Champ
The Toyota Hilux Champ is a small truck that the Japanese automaker mainly sells in Asian markets. It’s packing a 2.4L turbodiesel or 2.0L/2.7L gasoline engine, dependent on the exact market it’s being sold in. Both a five speed manual and six speed automatic transmission are also available on the truck.
It boasts up to 150 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque. It can tow over 5,500 pounds, offers a one ton payload, and if you get the long wheelbase version it comes with an 8.7ft bed.
The Hilux Champ is only two wheel drive, but with a $12,500 price tag you can’t really complain. Unfortunately, you aren’t going to see one of these on American shores and it might not be for the reason you think.
It’s not being blocked by tariffs
Imported pickup trucks and vans are on the hook for a 25% upon importation to the US. In addition to the “chicken tax” other tariffs may apply when bringing a truck in. So you will have to pay out a significant chunk of money relative to the truck’s value if you want to bring one here, but this isn’t really the issue.
A 25% tax is still just a little over $3,000. Which would put the total cost of the truck around the $15,500 mark. Still significantly cheaper than anything on the US market. Even with a total tariff set to 100%, you’re only paying $25,000 for the vehicle. It would still be the cheapest truck in the US.
But the issue goes beyond tariffs. The NHTSA actually has some of the highest safety standards in the world for vehicles hitting the US market. The Hilux Champ fails on several points.
It’s not passing a safety test without a total redesign
In order to keep costs down, the Toyota Champ is missing a few features that you may expect in a North American truck. Like ABS, and traction control. And airbags. Tire pressure monitors are also missing, along with features like a backup camera which have been mandatory in vehicles hitting the American market since 2018.
Fitting all of this would no doubt drive up costs. Some features, like that backup camera, would require a major redesign. Then the truck would have to be crash tested, adding an additional expense.
Then you have the powertrain. None of the three engines Toyota currently offers with the Hilux Champ meet EPA emissions standards. Which means they would either need to be adapted, or Toyota would have to fit a new powertrain to any imported trucks.
The platform itself is an issue too. There are no crumple zones, and the cab isn’t rigid enough to pass the NHTSA’s safety tests. It will likely fail every crash test without an entirely new chassis.
When you factor in the cost of a redesign, testing, and the multitude of additional features you need on a truck being sold in the United States in 2026, costs skyrocket. You’re essentially building a new truck entirely at that point.
Then add the chicken tax on top of everything, and you no longer have a $12,500 truck. You probably have something around the same price as a Ford Maverick. Or the Toyota Tacoma which comes in at a shade over $32,000.
There is a chance it would still come in under $25,000, but it’s far less of a bargain than the basic truck would be.
It also highlights how much of a challenge the likes of Ford and Slate have taken on when trying to deliver a truly cheap truck in 2026. Yes, you can cut features to keep costs low. But you probably can’t trim as many things as you’d think if you want a vehicle which meets modern safety standards.
