The Dodge Dakota always carried with it a brawny demeanor, even all the way up to its final model year. Now that the biggest midsize pickup is gone from Chrysler’s line up, there are plans for the next iteration. Fiat’s purchase of Chrysler has been rather beneficial for the company as sales have increased and refinement is once again present, but the Italian owners have left enough muscle that the eccentric member of the Big Three is still considered tough. So it came as a bit of a surprise as a few interviews with CEO, Sergio Marchionne, have hinted at how the next Dakota will roll around. According to the Inside Line (via Autoblog), the next Ram truck could use a unibody chassis ultimately making it not-a-truck. The only other vehicle to currently carry this claim is the Honda Ridgeline, so the change seems rather interesting.
The reasoning behind ditching the Dakota’s historic body-on-frame layout is more than likely backed by fuel economy. A unibody is lighter than a traditional truck and a lower weight should mean higher mileage. Marchionne also made a claim that the upcoming Jeep Grand Cherokee Diesel could offer up its powertrain for the next pickup. If that were the case, than the next Dakota would most likely be built-in the United States alongside the confirmed Jeep. Official details have yet to be released but there were talks of a release sometime during 2014 or earlier.
Source: Inside Line via Autoblog.com
