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Toyota owns the midsize truck segment. Nothing can touch the Tacoma in terms of sales volume, as people bought nearly 275,000 of ’em last year. Still, Ram believes it stands a chance of competing once it finally launches its new Dakota, with promises of making it a “real truck” for $40,000. The truckmaker gave dealers a glimpse of the new rig at this week’s NADA Show in Las Vegas, and apparently, they liked what they saw—some may even say they loved it.
Now, I don’t want to put too much stock into what dealers say about the vehicles they plan to sell because obviously, they need to hype them up. But Adrian Gonzalez, general manager of Payne Edinburg Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in Texas, shared some high praise for the Dakota with Automotive News. “It really did look nice,” he explained. “Toyota better be careful—we’re going to start competing with them when it comes to the Tacoma. That says a lot.”
As best as I can tell, Ram didn’t share any specs with dealers, only the design. Another manager, Jason Feldman from Helfman Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram Fiat in Houston, said, “I thought it looked aggressive. It looks like the right size. As long as the pricing is in line, it’s going to be a huge hit.” That echoes what Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis told The Drive in a recent interview, where he harped on the $40,000 price point the manufacturer has been absent from since cutting the 1500 Classic.
Kuniskis and Co. have stayed quiet about what powertrain the Dakota might have. In our conversation, he noted that they’re paying attention to hybrid tech without confirming electrification, and he all but shot down the idea of a V8. But since we’re on the topic of Toyota, the Tacoma features a 2.4-liter turbo four with 278 horsepower and 317 lb-ft of torque in most applications, as well as 326 hp and 465 lb-ft in hybrid spec. Maybe Ram will shock us all and put the twin-turbo Hurricane inline-six in the Dakota, though at this point, we just don’t know.
It’s been 15 years since the Dakota nameplate exited stage left, leaving a sizable gap in Ram’s lineup that is certainly felt. Kuniskis acknowledged this in saying, “The midsize truck for us, it’s so needed. I mean, we can’t get it fast enough.” Dealers agree, without question, and they appear to be optimistic based on what they’ve seen so far.
More competition is almost always a good thing, especially if you don’t have to fork over $60,000 or more for a decently spec’d truck.
Got a tip or question for the author? Contact them directly: caleb@thedrive.com
From running point on new car launch coverage to editing long-form features and reviews, Caleb does some of everything at The Drive. And he really, really loves trucks.
