[Allpar News System]

During an interview last week, Dodge chief Reid Bigland said that the Dodge Dakota replacement slated for 2016 had been cancelled again. Rumored since we first broke the news in 2007, this lighter-duty small pickup, fitting somewhere between Fiat Strada and Ram 1500, was to see duty around the world as a European-standard metric-ton pickup, filling a hole in both Ram and Fiat product plans. The two companies’ long-term plans both have a position for a new, Chrysler-initiated truck. At one point, the Windsor Star reported that the truck was to be made at the Windsor, Ontario minivan plant, based on the new minivan chassis.

When we asked then-chief of Ram Truck about the “lifestyle Dakota,” he said that research had pointed to a vehicle that was: ... capable, but not as capable as a full size Ram. People want to be able to take cargo, with a reasonable payload,..

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[jerseyjoe]

By the time it comes out I won't be able to use it.

 

[freshforged]

Yeah, I understand the need to keep costs within their means, but I'll likely be looking at a used Colorado at this point. Since it appears the Strada is a different program altogether, perhaps we'll see an imported version ala Ram 50?

 

[digitalrailroader]

well, it looks like Ford and Mother Mopar have Given up on the Midsize Pickup Segment (just like how Ford and GM gave up in the Minivan Segment), and are conceding it to the Tacoma, the Frontier, and the Colorado/Canyon.

 

[freshforged]

Perhaps they are conceding that there will be little a new Dakota can do that a Promaster or Promaster CIty dropside can do at a lower cost.

 

[valiant67]

well, it looks like Ford and Mother Mopar have Given up on the Midsize Pickup Segment (just like how Ford and GM gave up in the Minivan Segment), and are conceding it to the Tacoma, the Frontier, and the Colorado/Canyon.

Thing is there just isn't that much of a market to give up. Last time I looked Tacoma sales were down, the Frontier never sold well to begin with and the GM twins sales are anemic as well. If everyone wanted a smaller truck at least one of the competitors should show a bump in sales but none does. I don't understand it - the small to midsize truck market continues to shrink.

 

[Dave Z]

Yup.

Again, though, this might be doubletalk. "Dakota is dead. Long live Ram 500!"

 

[TWX]

Could be that the mid-size appealed when full-size had terrible fuel economy, but now that mileage is up there's less reason to have less capability. Also don't forget that with the SUV craze of the late nineties and through the noughties, home garages got bigger on new construction to allow bigger trucks to fit. It may be that a true compact truck sized like the Ram-50 with car-like dimensions would make more sense than a mid-size that's too big yet not capable enough.

 

[Tomguy]

I think people are accepting gas at $3.50 a gallon and no longer think fuel economy as much as they did when it first hit over $3 per gallon. Full size trucks with decent MPG have quad cab and short bed options. I think the full size market just offers more than the small trucks ever could have. The Subaru Baja did terrible (Although it was also hideous, so was/is the Avalanche and it's still going). If someone could possibly make a light, 4 cylinder pickup with a 4 cylinder diesel model like say the B2000 or D21 it'd probably STILL do terribly. People who want small fuel-efficient vehicles don't tend to want trucks. They want small cars like the Fiat or Mini, or small SUVs like RAVs. People who actually want to haul stuff get larger trucks. Unlike some other markets we don't tend to have streets so narrow a full-size truck can't possibly go down it. I think the only possible market for a small truck with 30k+ annual sales would be a Comanche and that's ONLY to satisfy Jeepers who have an occasional need to haul. They STILL tend to sell used about 2-6x as much as similar condition Cherokees from the same year(s).

 

[scott cornett]

Thing is there just isn't that much of a market to give up. Last time I looked Tacoma sales were down, the Frontier never sold well to begin with and the GM twins sales are anemic as well. If everyone wanted a smaller truck at least one of the competitors should show a bump in sales but none does. I don't understand it - the small to midsize truck market continues to shrink.

Tacoma sales are not down!

Toyota Tacoma +21.5% May 2013 14,727 +20.0%




Nissan Frontier

+0.7%

May 2013

6,570

+19.9%

matter of fact the only midsize trucks down are chevy/gmc



Chevy Colorado*-93.5% with just 244 units in may.
gmc canyon -90.3% with just 88 units in may.

 

[Stratuscaster]

Pretty sure the GM numbers are down because they stopped making the Colorado & Canyon a while ago - anything that does sell is the remaining on-hand inventory.

I'm with Dave - if and when something appears, it won't be called "Dakota."

 

[XRT2SRT]

All I know is, as great a truck that is the RAM 1500, it is still more iron than I'd like to tool around in on a daily basis. My cousin just bought a used Dakota Quad Cab and I utilized its perfect size utility to make a rin to the nearby Home Depot to p/u a boxed Toro Timemaster lawnmower. It was the perfect fit for the job. SO GIVE ME A TRUCK with thise dimensions, great ride quality, sure-footed handling, comfy accommodations, interior refinement, some of the RAMPAGE CONCEPT'S features and better (read more youtheful) than 1500 exterior. And it only has to be as capable as the '97-'03 Dakota!

 

[UN4GTBL]

All I know is, as great a truck that is the RAM 1500, it is still more iron than I'd like to tool around in on a daily basis. My cousin just bought a used Dakota Quad Cab and I utilized its perfect size utility to make a rin to the nearby Home Depot to p/u a boxed Toro Timemaster lawnmower. It was the perfect fit for the job. SO GIVE ME A TRUCK with thise dimensions, great ride quality, sure-footed handling, comfy accommodations, interior refinement, some of the RAMPAGE CONCEPT'S features and better (read more youtheful) than 1500 exterior. And it only has to be as capable as the '97-'03 Dakota!

Agreed! The 2000-2004 Dakota Quad Cab is perfect

 

[XRT2SRT]

Does anyone wanna start a pool of names for the next Dakota replacement? If not "DAKOTA" , then I'm gonna pitch for "RAM 850"...I like that sound...lol!

 

[Jeepnut]

Agreed! The 2000-2004 Dakota Quad Cab is perfect

I always thought the same gen but the extended cab 4X4 Sport with the red paint was probably one of the best looking trucks made. So sad to not have the Dakota anymore.

 

[valiant67]

Tacoma sales are not down!

Toyota Tacoma +21.5% May 2013 14,727 +20.0%


Nissan Frontier +0.7% May 2013 6,570 +19.9%

matter of fact the only midsize trucks down are chevy/gmc



Chevy Colorado*-93.5% with just 244 units in may.
gmc canyon -90.3% with just 88 units in may.

Yes, Tacoma is up compared to last year. It's still down historically from years back. If it sold the whole year at 14700 units per month, it would be back to around 170k units per year which puts it back where it was 7 years ago. And Nissan's increase is a small percentage of a relatively small number.

I stand by my statement that there isn't much of a small truck market or the remaining players would be selling in much higher volumes.

 

[Jeepnut]

Yes, Tacoma is up compared to last year. It's still down historically from years back. If it sold the whole year at 14700 units per month, it would be back to around 170k units per year which puts it back where it was 7 years ago. And Nissan's increase is a small percentage of a relatively small number.I stand by my statement that there isn't much of a small truck market or the remaining players would be selling in much higher volumes.

That market is down because the trucks got to big, to expensive, and to close to full sizers in mpg. They wanna revive it build a true rangersized truck and watch sales take off .

 

[red-jk]

I really hate to say this, and make this into a Jeep thread.

Could they be dropping the Dakota in favor of a Wrangler based pickup. There may not be room in the market for both.

 

[mrneuro]

What about a Cherokee-based pickup? Maybe they'll dust off the Comanche nameplate.

EDIT: Just saw Tomguy's post. Great minds think alike!

 

[Dave Z]

Ford was making a real Ranger-size pickup, called Ranger, and it was selling poorly.

Yes, Cherokee based pickup is almost a done deal. I wonder if they will combine that with the metric ton, but I doubt it. The offroad capability will destroy gas mileage.