Photo: Dodge
Manufactured from 2005 to the 2011 model year, the third generation of the Dakota is long forgotten in this day and age. The Colorado, Canyon, Ranger, Tacoma, and Frontier are the go-to pickups in the mid-size segment, but on the other hand, Ram has realized that it can’t do without the Dakota.
This is where the 2018 – 2022 product plan steps into the limelight, from which we understand that Ram is working on a “metric ton pickup truck” that would serve as a replacement for the Dakota. Up to now, it’s been reported time and again the mid-size workhorse would use the body-on-frame design of the 1500.
Now that Toledo is retooling for the body-on-frame Jeep Scrambler, it is understood that the Ram Dakota will be manufactured at this facility from 2020 for the 2021 model year. Citing suppliers with direct knowledge on the matter, Automotive News reports that the truckmaker won’t re-badge or re-engineer “a Fiat-based unibody compact such as the Ram 750 sold in Latin America.”
Confirmed on June 1st at the Balocco conference in Italy by Mike Manley, the Dakota could prove to be an instant hit for Ram if the styling of the 1500 trickles down to the mid-size pickup. The technological aspect and comfort also set the half-tonner apart from the crowd, but then again, don’t expect the newcomer to be a mini-1500.
Adapting a full-size platform for a mid-size application costs money, and in order to keep the pricing competitive, the 2021 Ram Dakota has to make do without some of the goodies that customers can enjoy on the 1500. On the other hand, the Dakota is the right pickup for that type of customer who believes that mid-size is the right size for him.
With the eTorque system from the mild-hybrid Ram 1500 and Jeep Wrangler, the Dakota could also be one of the most fuel-efficient trucks in the segment. On the other hand, Ford is on an aggressive electrification strategy and Hyundai is working on a mid-size pickup for the United States as well.
Now that Toledo is retooling for the body-on-frame Jeep Scrambler, it is understood that the Ram Dakota will be manufactured at this facility from 2020 for the 2021 model year. Citing suppliers with direct knowledge on the matter, Automotive News reports that the truckmaker won’t re-badge or re-engineer “a Fiat-based unibody compact such as the Ram 750 sold in Latin America.”
Confirmed on June 1st at the Balocco conference in Italy by Mike Manley, the Dakota could prove to be an instant hit for Ram if the styling of the 1500 trickles down to the mid-size pickup. The technological aspect and comfort also set the half-tonner apart from the crowd, but then again, don’t expect the newcomer to be a mini-1500.
Adapting a full-size platform for a mid-size application costs money, and in order to keep the pricing competitive, the 2021 Ram Dakota has to make do without some of the goodies that customers can enjoy on the 1500. On the other hand, the Dakota is the right pickup for that type of customer who believes that mid-size is the right size for him.
With the eTorque system from the mild-hybrid Ram 1500 and Jeep Wrangler, the Dakota could also be one of the most fuel-efficient trucks in the segment. On the other hand, Ford is on an aggressive electrification strategy and Hyundai is working on a mid-size pickup for the United States as well.
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