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New truck for Ram, maybe not a Dakota

18K views 8 replies 8 participants last post by  marten 
#1 ·
First, let me link this: http://truckyeah.jalopnik.com/is-ra...mall-pickup-back-on-a-fiat-1608582287/+travis

Yep, the little Fiat Strada is being driven around Detroit in heavy disguise and will probably fill the spot of the "small truck" that is in Ram's portfolio for 2015-2016. I'm actually excited about this; it's not a Dakota (in fact, I'd rather they reuse the old 'Rampage' name) but it is a pretty well-sorted small truck.

Yes, it is a unibody, but if you're doing serious, continuous, and/or heavy work you wouldn't buy a small truck anyway, right? This is more for the first-time buyer who wants a decent-sized interior and an open cargo box that could be made big enough for 'activity' things or cargo hauling.

Yes, its based on a FWD car (the Palio world car) but it is available in AWD, and I would suggest it be imported strictly in that drivetrain. Engines are a little on the small side, but stuff a 2.0L Tigershark under the hood and it'll do fine, maybe even a small diesel. Best of all, an available manual tranny! :) Maybe Fiat can even offer a performance version with the 2.4L Tigershark!

Yes, the plastic body cladding is hideous. Something else will need to be done. That's just a minor league worry.

BUT I went to Fiat's Brazilian site and priced one. Bearing in mind I don't speak Portuguese, a fully specked one comes out about $16,000 dollars, US. Add shipping costs, and you could get a nicely specked AWD truck that will get very good mileage for less than $18,000!

And before someone mentions the chicken tax, if they only import the crew cab version (which was part of my full-specked price check) they can avoid this since it counts as a car at that point and not a truck. This is how Ford avoids paying the same tax on the little Transit, and why the Subaru Brat came with those crappy bucket seats in the cargo box.

So, not a Dakota, but maybe a spiritual successor for the gen 1 Dakota (like my old '96)? What do you fine folks think?
 
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#2 · (Edited)
Wouldn't be too bad, but I don't believe it will sell well for a few factors.

Americans want an American truck, not a FWD VW Rabbit Pickup.

Unibody design won't be able to carry as much as a standard frame pickup, even though it's a small pickup, like the Toyota, those can even carry quite a bit.

The pickup is just too small to be of any use, unfortunately, the 80's and the fuel crisis are 'over' and people want bigger vehicles. Have you seen how big the 'compact' CR-V has gotten since the first generation, let alone the rest of the small compact cars?

The engine is just too small for a pickup, even though it fits nicely for the Dart, it just won't be able to do anything useful. This doesn't mean to say that the 2.5 in the Dakota was bad, but it just couldn't physically do the work that the 239/318/360 could.

Though I'd love to have another Rampage style of pickup, it needs to be RWD, 4WD, or AWD with a suspension different than leaf springs for once. Small, compact, good engines (V6 viable), good transmissions, excellent towing/hauling capacity, and automatic transmission available for those who can't drive proper transmissions.

I think that Chrysler is definitely onto something though, most of the vehicle trends tend to come from Europe and Japan, but they come five to ten years after the fact. Take the compact turbo cars Mopar came out with, yeah, great little cars, didn't sell too well overall. Ten years later small compact cars with turbos sell very well.
Chrysler tends to be a bit more innovative way too early in the game, they sink in too much money too quickly and make some pretty rash decisions. Some work, many don't. On the plus side, we did get things like the new Jeep Grand Cherokee that looks awesome, but fails in every other way for reliability, driveability, and fuel. But, whatever, it looks awesome.
 
#3 ·
First, let me link this: http://truckyeah.jalopnik.com/is-ra...mall-pickup-back-on-a-fiat-1608582287/+travis

Yep, the little Fiat Strada is being driven around Detroit in heavy disguise and will probably fill the spot of the "small truck" that is in Ram's portfolio for 2015-2016. I'm actually excited about this; it's not a Dakota (in fact, I'd rather they reuse the old 'Rampage' name) but it is a pretty well-sorted small truck.

Yes, it is a unibody, but if you're doing serious, continuous, and/or heavy work you wouldn't buy a small truck anyway, right? This is more for the first-time buyer who wants a decent-sized interior and an open cargo box that could be made big enough for 'activity' things or cargo hauling.

Yes, its based on a FWD car (the Palio world car) but it is available in AWD, and I would suggest it be imported strictly in that drivetrain. Engines are a little on the small side, but stuff a 2.0L Tigershark under the hood and it'll do fine, maybe even a small diesel. Best of all, an available manual tranny! :) Maybe Fiat can even offer a performance version with the 2.4L Tigershark!

Yes, the plastic body cladding is hideous. Something else will need to be done. That's just a minor league worry.

BUT I went to Fiat's Brazilian site and priced one. Bearing in mind I don't speak Portuguese, a fully specked one comes out about $16,000 dollars, US. Add shipping costs, and you could get a nicely specked AWD truck that will get very good mileage for less than $18,000!

And before someone mentions the chicken tax, if they only import the crew cab version (which was part of my full-specked price check) they can avoid this since it counts as a car at that point and not a truck. This is how Ford avoids paying the same tax on the little Transit, and why the Subaru Brat came with those crappy bucket seats in the cargo box.

So, not a Dakota, but maybe a spiritual successor for the gen 1 Dakota (like my old '96)? What do you fine folks think?
That's a damn shame, the Dakota fills the gap for many truckers, like almost full, but not a micro truck, more maneuverable and with good payload ability. I love my Dakota, but when replacement time comes, I will go either with full size or maybe, just maybe the smaller General Motors option. Too bad, I wonder why Dodge discontinues it anyway?
 
#5 ·
I for one will not waste my money on another useless Explorer Sport Trac so called truck so if that's the route the power's that be at Fodge decide to go I will keep my 08 Dakota going as long as possible. It's really to bad that the auto maker's can't learn from the flop's of the unibody so called truck's of the past especially when powered by a fricking moped engine. Listen Fodge just bring back the Dakota and update it stop wasting money on unibody moped powered so called truck's. This is America not Europe where they like those cute little toy's
 
#6 ·
Wow so much dislike,its a small truck not a Super stocker,you want a Hummer or a charger look elsewhere,you are entitled to your opinions respectfully,but a vehicle this size and catagory would satisfy 95% percent of the American six pack hauler needs'The other day when I was pulling a newer Grand Cherokee of an ice pile I had hard time finding a place to hook the tow strap(He didnt have tow hooks and the vehicle was lightly constructed(good for the occupants in a crash,but meet the scrapper after the crash.My old dak pulled Him off the snow-ice pack with ease,but it just shows what the average person needs.If they offered the small truck with a 6 spd manual and 2.8 Diesel(DF doesnt scare Me),mileage in the Mid-Thirties? count me in-notice were gas and diesel prices are headed again?So its probaly time for a practical small truck again,my CC Dak is so long its hard to swing in the mini parking slots they allocate customers now,so Caveat Emptor.
 
#7 · (Edited)
I think that Dodge should bring back the Dakota as a body on frame pickup just as before with a wide selection of engines that should include a diesel.
Just for general information, my 02 Dak is 1.5 inches narrower than the Wrangler and 3 inches longer. Since it's been raised about 4.5 inches including Goodyear Dura Tracs, it has adequate ground clearance for most of the moderate mountain runs we have out here in Colorado and will do the job as long as long as I stay away from the real aggressive trails like Black Bear Pass - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdQZLfNaXwA. I am a bonafide chicken when it comes to places like this.
 
#8 ·
I for one love the body style of my 1996 Dakota I also love the 318 V8 that powers it. Mine is a regular cab its easy to heat in the winter and easy to cool in the summer. Most of the manufacturers make make crew cabs or extended cabs which I don't need. I have a passenger car for multi-passengers.
 
#9 ·
My first Dak was a '93 w/V6 & 5 spd. My present Dak is an '02 V8 auto. It will most likely grow old and die with me.
The idea of a Fiat Anything rebranded as a Dakota or Ram is repugnant to me although it will most likely satisfy the needs of the average Walmart/Home Depot shopper for beer and small home projects. No insult intended, I shop at both stores.
I believe that the Dakota needs to come back as an "on-frame", RW, AWD or 4x4 with a strong V6, V8 or diesel (turbo 4 or V6) with a decent towing package.
 
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