Midsize Pickup Battle
America’s pickup market used to be dominated by full-size marques like the F-150, Ram, and Silverado. However, over the past few years, a market for smaller pickups has grown, and Ram saw the potential. Last month, the Ram Dakota was re-launched in other markets, with a potential North American entry under development.
Ram is keen to capitalize on the momentum by incorporating some new accessories for the Dakota for the South American market.
The Mopar Treatment
Making a debut at the São Paolo International Auto Show in Brazil is the first Dakota Laramie variant to be shown publicly. Adding to this, Mopar has also decided to make the Laramie even more special by adding its own accessories; all of this is part of Ram’s “Casa Ram Dakota” experience that allows customers to be more hands-on with the brand during the show.
According to the report of Mopar Insiders, this particular Dakota Laramie Mopar was designed by Stellantis South American Design Studio. Here are the parts that were incorporated into this special edition model:
- A bold black grille
- Black-finished wheels
- Power running boards
- Illuminated sill guards
- New Mopar Rambar built for mounting LED lighting
- Custom hood, door, and bedside graphics
- Mopar bed mat and integrated LED bed lighting
- Power tonneau cover
- Logo projector puddle lights
Powering this Ram Dakota Laramie Mopar is a 2.2-liter multi-jet turbodiesel four-cylinder that churns out 200 horsepower and 332 lb-ft of torque. All that power moves through an 8-speed automatic transmission.
Like its bigger sibling, capability is paramount for the Dakota, offering 2WD, 4WD Auto, and 4WD Low. It can automatically send power to the wheel that needs the most traction, and it also comes with an electronic rear-locking differential and hill-descent control.
North American Dakota, When?
We’ve known for a while that Ram’s midsize truck contender will eventually make its way to North America, and the plans are set for a 2027 release. Notice we haven’t called it the “Dakota” yet, because there’s a slight chance it might be called something else in the US.
We also know that the platform might not be a direct “plug and play” from the Jeeps, but rather a Ram-built, fully built body-on-frame chassis. Furthermore, it’s becoming more likely that the US version will be built in at Toledo North Assembly in Ohio.
Given that Ram and Mopar both call North America home, it’s possible that the US gets the Mopar accessories when the time comes. The only question now is: When?
