Is Fiat Chrysler Automobiles ready to pull the trigger on a Ram Dakota?
Last week, the company filed a trademark application for the name “Dakota,” related to “parts for vehicles, namely, automotive exterior decorative trim,” according to a U.S. Patent and Trademark Office posting.
Trevor Dorchies, a Ram Truck spokesman, said the company isn’t commenting.
But if the company is intending to relaunch the Dakota, it wouldn’t be too much of a surprise. The midsize truck market, although still dominated by the Toyota Tacoma, has been growing rapidly.
FCA CEO Mike Manley hasn’t shied away from discussing the issue, calling the lack of a true midsize pickup a hole in the company’s portfolio.
The Jeep Gladiator is considered a midsize pickup, but as a “lifestyle” vehicle, it likely attracts a different audience than a new Dakota would. One of the interesting aspects of all this is that Chrysler already had a Dakota, initially launched as a Dodge for the 1987 model year and ending its run as a Ram for 2011.
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Sam Fiorani, vice president of global vehicle forecasting for AutoForecast Solutions, has said the truck “established what we think of as the midsize truck market now,” but the Dakota was dropped because of fears it would hurt the company’s full-size pickup sales. The Ram 1500 has been a bright spot for FCA, but with the power of the truck market and the ongoing Truck Wars, a new midsize offering could offer another avenue for growth.
Motor Trend, in a story this week, predicted a new Dakota could arrive as early as the 2021 model year.
Contact Eric D. Lawrence: elawrence@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter: @_ericdlawrence.
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