Ram’s long-anticipated return to the midsize pickup segment is starting to take clearer shape, even if some expectations are being quietly adjusted along the way.

In North America, the newly-announced RAM Dakota will be well-positioned on the market, as it promises to deliver real capabilities in terms of performance, and that at a very competitive price.

Other Specifications

According to RAM representatives, the new Dakota won`t be seen as a compromise product, but as a proper truck, since it will ride on a “body-on-frame” chassis. That will give it truck credentials rather than the feel of an SUV converted into a boring pickup.

As Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis puts it, the goal is simple: it has to offer “the kind of real capability buyers expect from a proper truck.”

That philosophy extends beyond marketing language. Kuniskis has repeatedly stressed that the Dakota needs to be credible as a workhorse. “It needs to be a proper truck,” he said, adding that it must have towing capability, payload capacity, and everything else a truck buyer is actually looking for. “It can’t be, you know, a car that you put a bed on.”

The model is also seen as an important gap-filler in Ram’s lineup, especially now that the budget-friendly 1500 Classic is no longer in production. To succeed as a volume seller, the Dakota will need to land at the right price point, with Ram suggesting a starting figure somewhere in the mid-$30,000 range.

Complete Powertrain Information

What the new Dakota definitely won’t offer is a V8 engine. Kuniskis was blunt on that front. “I don’t know that it needs a V8,” he explained, pointing out how much larger midsize trucks have become over the past 15 years. In his view, the segment is no longer that far removed from what full-size trucks used to be, and he doesn’t expect midsize buyers to demand fundamentally different powertrain thinking in the coming years.

Concerning electrification, Kuniskis says that the company is still considering the possibility of offering a hybrid setup, even if RAM company hasn`t yet confirmed the rumors. “Powertrain-wise, we haven’t said anything about what we’re going to do,” he said.

Conclusion

Whether the final result includes a hybrid system or not, one thing seems settled already: the Dakota’s mission is to be a real truck first, even without a V8 under the hood.