Mopar-specific social media was inundated with news that the Dodge Dakota project had been cancelled. In the fine print was news that this only affected plans to create a Dodge version of the Jeep Gladiator, a heavyweight engineered off the Wrangler mainly for off-road prowess.
The decision is probably good for Dodge fans, because the Dakota name is generally associated with midsize pickups having a traditional full size bed, four doors, and two rows of seats (as with the 2008 Dakota shown above—the rear doors are the “hidden” style with latches that only appear when the front doors are opened). Perhaps the product planners were going to make a vehicle like that, but the Gladiator itself has quite specific limits imposed by its factory. Making the Dakota version somewhere else, while altering the frame and chassis design for lighter weight and greater length, seems unlikely to produce either the optimal vehicle or much of a cost savings.
Stellantis is, instead, moving towards a single, new pickup that can be sold everywhere in the world, replacing the old Fiat Fullback/Ram 1200 (Mitsubishi L200) as well as a joint-venture pickup created with a Chinese company. The basis for this new pickup is currently unknown; it could be the first known major new vehicle using teams from former-Fiat, former-Chrysler, and former-Peugeot.
David Zatz started what was to become the world’s biggest, most comprehensive Mopar site in 1994 as he pursued a career in organizational research and change. After a chemo-induced break, during which he wrote car books covering Vipers, minivans, and Jeeps, he returned with Patrick Rall to create StellPower.com for daily news, and to set up MoTales for mo’ tales.
David Zatz has around 30 years of experience in covering Chrysler/Mopar news and history, and most recently wrote Century of Chrysler, a 100-year retrospective on the Chrysler marque.
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