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Comment by wsc981 | Hacker News Reader

In 2024 Toyota in Thailand introduced a cheap pick-up that is a bit under 15.000 USD when THB is converted to USD. I think it's rather neat - the basic model is /very/ basic, but lots of options to customize.

https://www.toyota.co.th/en/model/hilux_champ?tab=commercial...

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This doesn't really have anything to do with the US though. Importing that vehicle is not possible for another 24 years and USD$15k goes a lot farther in southeast Asia than it does in the US. For the past half century there has been a plethora of cheap pick-up trucks available in Asia and that has not carried over to the US.

Lol it is the Hilux.

This requires posting related info-graphic. Cheers.

https://files.catbox.moe/2d1rwq.webp

The first 4 or 5 pickups in that infographic is the Toyota Land Cruiser, not the Hilux. Although this infographic is pretty funny, it's not accurate I'm afraid.

They still make the Land Cruiser more or less in that shape and configuration: https://media.cdntoyota.co.za/toyotacms23/attachments/clz2ej...

I know this has issues. There is a more accurate one out there somewhere with actual year/models, armament specs and the conflict in which the pic was taken but I don't have quick access to it.

Still funny.

It's not dumb if it works :

https://acoup.blog/2025/05/23/collections-the-logistics-of-r...

That's pretty hilarious I need to find that in a poster for a Marine buddy who's a Toyota mechanic.

Part of the cost of cars in America is regulatory compliance.

Other parts include import taxes, local wages vs outsourced wages, and margins.

Why can't we get these in the US? This kind of simple utilitarian vehicle is exactly what I'm looking for.

Toyota uses a separate platform called IMV [0] in developing countries that doesn't meet safety standards in EU, Canada, Japan, the US, or the UK.

A lot of safety features such as around crumple zones or even airbags (in the case of the Toyota Champ) don't exist in the IMV platform.

Australia allows them (excluding the Champ), but they watered down their car safety standards in order to seal FTAs with ASEAN (2009), China (2015), and India (2022), leading to the last Australian automotive factory shutting down in 2017.

Once you start adding those safety features (and build the associated testing infra), costs end up comparable to those in Central Europe - as can be seen with the domestic and international prices of Western-oriented export models from China (Zeekr X/Volvo XC30) or India (Toyota Hyryder/Toyota Urban Cruiser).

[0] - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_IMV_platform

In addition to what the sibling points out, in this case of a light pickup truck the chicken tax also applies which adds 25% tariff: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_tax

Mostly regulatory nonsense. US has very specific requirements that mean cars driven in the US have to be basically specifically designed for the US. Other than that main problem is tariffs.

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