The Dodge Dakota pickup has been beyond dead since the end of the 2011 model year. Even if a new version of the Dakota were out right now, it wouldn’t wear a Dodge badge because the company doesn’t build trucks since Ram was spun off as a standalone brand back in 2009. And there currently is no such thing as a Ram midsizer, but not for long—reports show that an all-new Ram Dakota is coming in 2027.
According to Motor Trend, after Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis announced the brand’s upcoming vehicles, he stated during a Q&A session, “We don’t have a volume trim $40,000 truck. The only way we’ll ever get back to the $40,000 price point [again is with a] midsize truck. And you all heard the announcement that Antonio [Filosa, Stellantis CEO] made. We’re investing $13 billion into the U.S. One of the things that we’re investing that is to bring a midsize truck. Will it be called the Dakota? I guess is the answer there … yeah.”
Like the midsize trucks from Toyota, Nissan, Chevrolet, GMC, and Jeep, the Ram Dakota will be a body-on-frame rig. Expect the choice of ICE and hybrid power plants—and don’t be surprised if a reconfigured Hurricane twin-turbo 3.0-liter I6, 2026 Cherokee’s 1.6-liter turbo I4 hybrid setup, or 2026 Grand Cherokee’s Hurricane 2.0-liter turbo I4 makes that list. We won’t be shocked if the Dakota is eventually offered in Rebel or RHO or TRX trim to compete with the Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro and Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 high-performance off-roaders.
The all-new Dakota will be produced at Ram’s Belvidere, Illinois assembly plant starting in 2027, which means it may a 2028 model when it rolls into dealerships. It’s way too early for official pricing, but Car and Driver expects the Dakota to start at around $35,000 and reach as high as $48,000, depending on the trim level and options selected.