The midsize truck segment in the United States has no shortage of models, particularly reliable ones that offer driving comfort and performance. Some examples: the Ford Ranger, Chevrolet Colorado, GMC Canyon, Toyota Tacoma, the new Nissan Frontier, as well as the Jeep Gladiator despite being a little smaller than the rest.
Recently, there have been reports hinting at the return of another truck: the Dodge Dakota. Planned to become part of the Fiat Chrysler umbrella and be based on the Jeep Gladiator, the model is expected to make a comeback in the American truck game under the Ram portfolio.
However, the merging of FCA and the PSA Groupe that saw the formation of Stellantis also stirred rumors that the Dakota revival is no longer happening.
But, in a recent report, Automotive News claims that the Dakota project is still in the works, as confirmed by a source from Stellantis. No other details were shared, but it appears that the truck will indeed share the same architecture with the Gladiator.
Comes now the hurdle: the midsize truck segment is too saturated.
What Stellantis could do, according to experts, is to not release a midsize truck that is larger than its previous generations—the current trend—and instead go for the smaller end of the spectrum like what Hyundai is doing with the upcoming Santa Cruz and Ford with the Maverick. If this happens, the reborn Dakota could directly compete with fewer models.
So far, Stellantis has not commented on the Dakota project, meaning it could either surprise everyone with a different approach or go the classic route and release it in its original size and form.
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