Ram has at last confirmed it will bring a true rival to the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger to market, with the Dakota to act as a smaller sibling to the mega-popular Ram 1500.
CarsGuide caught up with Ram's global chief in the USA, where we got news on what to expect from, and when to expect, the all-new Dakota in Australia.
This is everything we think we know about one of the most exciting new utes coming our way.
A true HiLux and Ranger rival: What is the 2024 Ram Dakota?
First things first, we're not 100 per cent certain it will be called the Dakota, though that's certainly shaping as the most likely moniker.
We do know that Ram in Brazil is working on a model called the Rampage, but the Dakota is expected to be a different class of ute, not based on an existing platform.
It's an area Ram hasn't played in for a long time, but it's also been identified as a key growth area both in the USA and around the world, and a critical plank in the brand's plan to be truly global, but more on that in a moment.
It's time to get excited about the Ram Dakota. (Image credit: Thanos Pappas)
What's exciting here is that we now know, without doubt, three important factors: One, it definitely is happening. Two, it will be offered with both ICE and EV powertrains. And three, it is coming to Australia.
"Obviously the Dakota name carries a lot of heritage. It's very special to us," Ram's global boss Mike Koval told us recently.
"I will say this - we've been talking about it forever. This is the Ram leadership team that is going to execute. We will be the team that delivers it."
Petrol, diesel and electric: What will be powering the 2024 Ram Dakota
We now know there are at least two powertrains coming to the Dakota. The first is all-electric, and likely a derivative model based on the monstrous Ram 1500 REV that was just revealed at the New York Show.
While the electric Dakota won't be as muscular as the REV - which scores dual 250kW motors, one at each axle, and battery choices that span 168kWh to 229kWh, the latter promising a 500 mile (800km) range - Ram has proven they can make an electric pick-up truck that hits all the right notes.
The electric Dakota has already been shown to American dealers in concept form, suggesting a public debut isn't far away.
The electric Dakota won’t be as muscular as the REV - which scores dual 250kW motors, one at each axle, and battery choices that span 168kWh to 229kWh.
But in new and exciting news, CarsGuide has learned that the mid-size ute will also appear in ICE form, meaning petrol and diesel engines will also appear, ostensibly to satisfy markets still big on combustion engines, like Australia.
"I would be doing the team a disservice if I didn't (offer ICE). I want to be able to sell it in every market around the world," Koval says.
American media are pointing to two viable ICE options for the Dakota. The first being the group's venerable 3.6-litre petrol V6 – making around 227kW and 365Nm. It would pair with an eight-speed auto and arrive in rear- or all-wheel drive. Option two, it seems, is the brand's 3.0-litre EcoDiesel V6, which produces 179kW and 569Nm in the existing 1500.
The ultimate tough truck: What will the Ram Dakota look like?
There's no doubt that Ram makes some of the toughest-looking trucks around, and there's no reason to think that the Dakota will be any different.
But here's where it gets a little confusing.
Ram's boss told us that the camouflaged trucks we've spied testing aren't actually the Dakota, and are more likely a similar-sized ute that is destined for Brazil. That one is not expected to be a proper ladder-frame dual-cab, and will be instead be offered with smaller, four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines taken from the existing Stellantis fleet.
And in a way, that's good news, as they have so far looked more car-based, and unlikely to threaten the top of the dual-cab food chain in Australia.
With the Dakota, expect Ram to lean into the 1500 REV — and the rest of the 1500 family — to deliver a smaller, but just as muscular, version that leans heavily on Ram innovation (like the Ram Box storage), but that is also a little easier to park...
There’s no doubt that Ram makes some of the toughest-looking trucks around, and there’s no reason to think that the Dakota will be any different. (Ram 1500 TRX pictured)
Australian launch timing: When will wee get the Ram Dakota?
While specific launch timing is yet to be confirmed, Ram has confirmed the Dakota will be a global product, with the brand even flagging factory right-hand-drive production for markets like Australia.
"When I got to the brand in 2016, I would say 96 per cent of the engineering focus was on North America," Koval told us. "That's changing. Every new vehicle, starting with the (Ram 1500 REV), and everything beyond it, I will make it international in scope. Or I'll try to."
That said, US media points to a 2024 launch for the Dakota, and with the brand's confirmed desire to go global - and to reduce wait times for markets outside of the USA - an Australian launch would be expected soon after.
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