Click to enlarge the A-BAT concept

Toyota is going back to their compact truck roots with their 2008 Detroit Auto Show concept the A-BAT. The uni-body pickup has a four-foot bed that can be extended two feet forward via a fold down mid-gate and another two feet back with the tailgate down. Even with its extended cab, the A-BAT still measures 27" shorter overall than a current extended cab Tacoma and even 9" less than a regular cab Tacoma. In typical Toyota fashion these days the A-BAT uses the Hybrid Synergy Drive with a four-cylinder gas engine. There's no mention of the engine size or drive layout, but the short hood points to a transverse layout driving the front wheels. It will be interesting to see if this concept quiets some of the criticism Toyota has received from environmentalists since the debut of the Tundra last January. For a glimpse of the future, check out the press release after the jump.

[Source: Toyota]