2008 Dodge Dakota - Click above for high-res image gallery
Chrysler is dropping more hints about an upcoming unibody pickup that would be positioned below the
Dodge Dakota. You may recall that first word of the new small
truck came
back in November when Fred Diaz, CEO of
Chrysler's newly-created Ram brand, dropped tidbits about the company "considering" a Dakota replacement. We speculated that it could be built on a platform derived from the upcoming
Jeep Grand Cherokee/
Dodge Durango architecture.
Interviewed at the National Truck Equipment Association's Work Truck Show in St. Louis this month, Joe Veltri, Chrysler Group vice president of product planning, touched on the subject once again. "We're thinking of something that will separate itself from the full-sized truck more than what happens today, both in capability, price and size," said Veltri. While the automaker has reportedly shelved the idea of developing a mid-size truck on a unibody platform (the segment is currently owned by the
Honda Ridgeline – its sales plummeted 51 percent between 2008 and 2009), the company feels there is a need for a smaller and more
fuel efficient pickup without the unnecessary size or capabilities. According to Veltri, buyers still want
pickup trucks but they want better
fuel economy. "Everybody has gotten the formula wrong," he adds. Well, everyone except
Ford and the ancient-though-still-small
Ranger.
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