Ram's Ford Ranger Rival Is Back, And It's Reviving The Dakota Name
Don't click away because of that, because you'll want to get a load of this new Dakota Nightfall concept. After all, Tim Kuniskis has said Ram needs more than just a single truck line in America if it wants to consider itself a real truck maker, and the Ram Dakota has promise.
First of all, this isn't the production pickup truck. Instead, the Ram Dakota Nightfall concept previews the production truck that will revive the Dakota name. However, while it may be labeled a concept, we're clearly looking at a final production design kitted out with various accessories and a special livery.
Ram Dakota Nightfall Concept front three quarter viewRam
The Dakota nameplate was last used in 2011 for the third-generation midsize pickup truck. It's lain dormant since, however, and amid calls for Ram to re-enter the midsize segment dominated by the Toyota Tacoma, it's ripe for a revival. Stylistically, this new concept looks ready for the United States, as it borrows the larger Ram 1500's design language and shrinks it down perfectly. It's got the signature Ram grille with bold lettering, flanked on either side by narrow headlights and topped by a full-width light bar. The sculpted hood features a top-mounted intake scoop with triple-LED lighting elements, borrowed from the Ram TRX - Ram's V8 supertruck that's just been confirmed for a comeback.
A smattering of accessories includes a sports bar with LED lighting, an electric winch integrated into the steel front bumper, side steps, and a bed-mounted spare wheel. Speaking of wheels, the concept wears 18-inch beadlock alloy wheels shod in 33-inch all-terrain tires. Behind these, the suspension of the Nightfall concept is some hardcore stuff: Fox raised suspension, the type you'd find on the TRX and various Ford Raptor off-roaders.
Ram Dakota Nightfall Concept rear three-quarter viewRam
In this segment, the engine matters, but Ram hasn't divulged that information just yet. It also hasn't stated whether this is built on a new platform or one shared elsewhere in the Stellantis line-up. And that's where we've got bad news for you. While it's not explicitly stated, we've got a pretty strong inkling this new Dakota is a corporate cousin of the Peugeot Landtrek (silver car below). The dead giveaway is in the shape of the glasshouse, specifically the kick-up of the lower window line of the rear door and the shape of the C-pillar garnish.
Peugeot Landtrek side viewRam Dakota Nightfall Concept side view
The two are dead ringers, and closer inspection reveals even the creases on the doors are identical. That means the Dakota could use the same 2.4-liter turbo four-cylinder - a Mitsubishi-derived motor - to produce up to 207 horsepower and 236 lb-ft of torque, not bad numbers for the segment.
The Landtrek isn't a true Stellantis product, though, and is a platform-engineered pickup based on the Changan F70 - a midsize truck from China. Immediately, that rules out this specific version of the Dakota from ever making its way to the United States for two reasons. One, any truck built outside of the US is immediately subjected to huge tariffs because of the Chicken Tax, but compounded with 100%-plus taxes on parts coming from China, this Dakota would be prohibitively expensive in the US.
Ram Dakota Nightfall Concept rear threee-quarter high viewRam
We love the design of this new Dakota. That, combined with a name carrying significant weight with the American audience, would make such a truck a hit in America. But the only way this would work is if the production version were significantly adapted and built in America. Given Kuniskis's prior remarks about needing a midsize truck for the US, we can't rule it out as a possibility. But from where we're sitting, it's highly unlikely this is the Dakota we'll see in America.
Ram has confirmed a new midsize pickup truck is coming in 2027, which will be assembled at the Belvidere, Illinois, plant that previously built the Jeep Cherokee. But it probably won't be this one.
