Spied: Toyota's Juke-fighting mini ute

Toyota is prepping a small SUV of its own.

Our spy photographers have sent us the first visual evidence that Toyota is developing a new sub-compact SUV that will battle the likes of the Nissan Juke, Mazda CX-3 and Honda HR-V.

Although we know for sure this mini ute falls under the Toyota umbrella, it remains unknown what badge this vehicle will wear when it eventually goes on sale in the United States. In global markets the small SUV will be sold as a Toyota, but it's possible the Juke-fighter could wind up as a Scion on these shores.

Whatever the case, the pint-sized utility vehicle will borrow most of its styling cues from the Toyota C-HR concept vehicle that debuted at last year's Paris Motor Show. That concept featured an aggressive front end, large wheels and a sharply raked roofline, which all appear to be present on this prototype. One major change from the concept will be the addition of two rear doors.

The small utility vehicle will ride on Toyota's latest NGA platform. Power will be provided by a four-cylinder engine while a CVT will handling shifting duties.

No launch date has been specified, but it could be a year or two until Toyota is ready to release its sub-RAV4 SUV.