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Jeep will launch a pickup truck, the midsized Scrambler, into a sizzling-hot truck market.

The Toledo-built Scrambler will debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show on Nov. 28 and hit dealer lots sometime in the first half of 2019, possibly as early as April.

Deep in Jeep country, potential customers are already asking about it, said Ken Millen, general manager of Charlie’s Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram in Maumee.

He believes it can be a strong seller — if priced right.

“If pricing is reasonable, it’ll be a home run,” Mr. Millen said of the Scrambler.

Jeep has not yet released pricing on the all-new model.

Mr. Millen said he’d like to see the Scrambler start slightly under $30,000 and graduate to a fully-equipped top price of about $40,000.

If it gets much over that, it could cannibalize some sales of the full-size Ram 1500 pickup truck, which is available in a four-door model with two-wheel drive at about $42,000, he said.

“Chrysler needs to be smart about its price position,” he said.

Charlie’s sells about 175 new vehicles per month on average and 95 used vehicles.

A spokesman for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles declined to comment about the Scrambler until after the vehicle is released in Los Angeles.

The midsized pickup segment has been a great adjunct to full-size pickup sales over at least the past two years.

Ford Motor Co. is bringing back the Ranger this year to compete against the other players in the segment: the Toyota Tacoma, Nissan Frontier, Chevrolet Colorado, GMC Canyon, and Honda Ridgeline.

Kistler Ford in Toledo has taken four orders for the Ranger, which are starting to be built at Ford’s Michigan Assembly Plant in suburban Detroit, said Kistler Dealer-principal Bobby Jorgensen.

He said the Ranger is suited for buyers who occasionally want the utility of a truck without needing a big hauler like the Ford F-150, the nation’s top-selling pickup.

The smaller pickup also offers better gas mileage, has towing capability and is loaded with new technology, including emergency braking lane departure alerts, and a sophisticated infotainment system, he said.

The market is robust for trucks and sports utility vehicles generally and midsized trucks in particular, automaker sales data show.

U.S. sales of midsized pickups are up 18 percent through September versus a year ago, according to figures released by the automakers.

The Chevy Colorado is leading the charge, up 26 percent through September to 104,838 vehicles sold. The Toyota Tacoma is fast on its heels, up 25 percent through the first nine months of 2018. The GMC Canyon is up 9 percent and the Nissan Frontier up 8 percent. Only the aging Honda Ridgeline is in the red, slumping 14 percent through nine months.

The Jeep Scrambler will launch with a unique boxy look and legions of loyal Jeep buyers looking on, said Ivan Drury, senior manager of industry analysis for car-shopping site Edmunds.com.

It is expected to have Jeep’s renowned off-road capabilities and enough towing power to get ATVs, kayaks and snowmobiles where they need to get, he said.

He said the Scrambler should be greeted with pent-up demand, especially by Jeep owners who want a little more hauling and utility than the Wrangler can offer.

Mr. Millen at Charlie’s Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram said he expects strong uptake from active millennials looking for a lower price point than a full-size truck as well as from people 45 years old to 60 years old who want a leisure vehicle that can get better gas mileage than the bigger trucks.

New vehicle sales generally should be robust next year if off slightly from the 16.8 million pace of annual U.S. vehicle sales set through this October, said Autotrader analyst Michelle Krebs.

Midsized pickups are viewed as more of a discretionary purchase than full-size trucks because they are more for recreation than heavy work, Ms. Krebs said. On that front, the Scrambler and its competitors might suffer if the market turns south faster than expected, she said.

On the other hand, buyers of midsized trucks tend to be less loyal than full-size truck owners and may be more willing to consider a newcomer like the Scrambler, she said.

“We really don’t know right now how big the market [for midsized pickups] ultimately will be,” Ms. Krebs said.