Photo: Ram
Produced between the 1987 and 2011 model years over three generations, the Dakota pickup should have returned to the lineup under the Ram brand. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles confirmed a mid-size truck during the Capital Markets Day conference in 2018, but “sources within Stellantis” understand that Fiat Chrysler Automobiles can’t make a case for the Dakota any longer.
I, for one, can’t understand why the project was canceled. Mid-size pickups are viable alternatives to sport utility vehicles in the United States, and the sales figures for this segment are pretty fine despite the ongoing sanitary crisis. The ever-popular Tacoma, for example, sold 238,806 units last year while the Ranger moved 101,486 units, a 13.3 percent increase over 2019.
The best-performing truck in the segment is the Jeep Gladiator, which jumped by 94 percent from 40,047 to 77,542 examples. That’s not bad at all for a Wrangled-styled workhorse that carries a starting price of $33,565 excluding destination charge. What’s more, the revived Dakota should have shared its oily bits with the Gladiator, right down to both engine options.
As standard, the Jeep-branded pickup belts out 285 horsepower and 260 pound-feet (353 Nm). The EcoDiesel isn’t as potent at 260 horsepower, but it more than makes up for it in terms of torque (442 pound-feet or 600 Nm). Not long now, the Gladiator will also receive a plug-in hybrid option similar to that of the Wrangler 4xe.
“An off-road-spec Rebel trim level also wasn’t out of the question” according to GM Authority, “offering upgraded suspension, underbody protection, new tires, and more aggressive styling.” The question is, don’t you feel that Ram is missing out a lot by not going forward with the Dakota?
Think about it for a minute. For starters, we could have been treated to an extended cab instead of a crew cab. Secondly, rear-wheel drive and a work truck-like trim level would have brought down the starting price by a considerable margin over the Gladiator. Given these circumstances, the Dakota would’ve had a fighting chance against the Ranger and its peers.
The best-performing truck in the segment is the Jeep Gladiator, which jumped by 94 percent from 40,047 to 77,542 examples. That’s not bad at all for a Wrangled-styled workhorse that carries a starting price of $33,565 excluding destination charge. What’s more, the revived Dakota should have shared its oily bits with the Gladiator, right down to both engine options.
As standard, the Jeep-branded pickup belts out 285 horsepower and 260 pound-feet (353 Nm). The EcoDiesel isn’t as potent at 260 horsepower, but it more than makes up for it in terms of torque (442 pound-feet or 600 Nm). Not long now, the Gladiator will also receive a plug-in hybrid option similar to that of the Wrangler 4xe.
“An off-road-spec Rebel trim level also wasn’t out of the question” according to GM Authority, “offering upgraded suspension, underbody protection, new tires, and more aggressive styling.” The question is, don’t you feel that Ram is missing out a lot by not going forward with the Dakota?
Think about it for a minute. For starters, we could have been treated to an extended cab instead of a crew cab. Secondly, rear-wheel drive and a work truck-like trim level would have brought down the starting price by a considerable margin over the Gladiator. Given these circumstances, the Dakota would’ve had a fighting chance against the Ranger and its peers.
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