[JavelinAMX]

How about a "shorter-wheelbase", 4-door, 4 (to5?)-seater with a shorter bed of effectively 5 to 6 feet counted with the (stout) tailgate open, on the CUSW platform in 2 and 4WD? A "Lifestyle" pickup for Millenials et al? I guess you'd have to be more conservative on loads and towing with default front WD, but maybe that'd help with MPGs, and maybe such a current and future demand segment calls for lower cargo and towing weights, anyway (but still would like to carry some things in a bed sometimes)?

On one hand, the now-failed Subaru Legacy/Baja is something of a prototype for this -

The Journey might also work (beyond the CUSW you mention) ... but that's a step-up and could pose other challenges ( Lift-over height, perhaps).

The previous talk about the Caravan forming the basis for the Lifestyle truck included evolving the Minivan into less people-mover, but more of a purpose-built, ruggedized utility vehicle.

The Subaru Baja would be the closest actual product to the sizes you note; although that wouldn't be a direct 1:1 relationship - it merely depicts the idea in picture better than I could convey in mere words. What you're saying, of course, would have to be Chrysler-ized.

All the foregoing are FWD.

 

[JavelinAMX]

Two of the very popular small truck types from the past were the El Camino and Ranchero. It occurs to me that that size and body style might warrant serious consideration for the next Dakota type. Whatacha think? Got t be rear drive for stability, though.

I'm on the fence, actually.

I'm not knocking the idea by any means, but on one hand I seem to remember the possibility of a light-light duty Fiat Pick-up being considered. That's one possibility.

My preference, however, is to have a smaller-than-Ram Jeep pick-up ... a re-hash of the J-Truck. It would have to be smaller than the Ram 1500 in length and width by established J-Truck standards, but larger than a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited. For me, it would have to carry visual cues stolen from what I consider to be the best of the Jeep Truck models from the beginnings of the Jeep Truck onward (1962-ish to 1988?). It would have to be better by being Retro-Modern.

So, I'd like a Dakota, but would much prefer the return of the J-Truck. { I'm off my Bully Pulpit now }

 

[JavelinAMX]

Though it looks like my riding days are over, two of my dirtbikes (250cc class) are just under 6 feet from the front of the front tire to the back end of the rear tire base, the relevant length for carying them in a truck bed; my other dirtbike is even shorter. I haven't done a market study on all dirtbikes, but 6.5 feet could handle most all of them. I wouldn't expect to carry more than two bikes at a time in such a small truck; many riders carry only one bike---mounting it diagonally in the bed---which reduces the needed bed length significantly. I don't think such a truck would be intended to carry e.g., a Harley.

BTW, Aussies inspired us with their utes, giving rise to the Ranchero in the 1950s.

Right; and aren't there bed extenders? I don't know what to call them, tubing arrangements which hinge just inside the back gate (tailgate? bed door?)

 

[JavelinAMX]

Being the owner of a Ram D50 I think they could do a modern update of the original mini P/U, I also wonder if Dakota returned to its roots as a smaller truck would it sell?

I once owned a long-bed Dodge D50. Bare-bones but had A/C ... 'twas nice.

A massaged Strada might work. But so would a Journey-, or Caravan-sourced Ridgeline wannabe. I'm wondering if the Strada would be better since on the surface it would seem to have (more) Real Truck underpinnings to help sell the idea that the finished product is actually a truck.