There's been buzz about the Dakota name coming back for years. For a strictly truck brand, it's shocking that Ram really only has one model. (I don't count the new style and classic as two trucks.) If they wait for their electrification game, three years NOT in a segment is enough to give other brands time to build a reputation and push you out.
With a couple of players in the 'compact' segment now, and at least the Maverick generating a lot of hype (that Ford now has to hope it lives up to!), the Stellantis group really needs to act quickly if it becomes a hot commodity. Or they'll wait just long enough that nobody will care when they get there.
Great points!
The hope, though, is that RAM builds a midsized truck, i.e. the Dakota, on the Gladiator's current platform but gives it some niceties that the 1500 has for ride comfort. The Gladiator is more comfortable than the wrangler due to its length, but its no Ram 1500 with air ride suspension.
The only problem with building the Dakota at the Gladiator plant is capacity. Hyundai owns the plant that builds the frame/chassis for the gladiator. After it is built, it goes through a passage into the FCA owned plant that previously build the cherokee. The plant next door makes the Wrangler (Toledo North and Toledo South). That Hyundai (Mobis) plant is pretty much at capacity because they build gladiators for other markets too. If demand for Gladiators slows, sure, throw in another model and spread the engineering and manufacturing costs a bit. They COULD build a dakota at SHAP in Sterling Heights Michigan but my guess is they will build the current ram and then the EV models side-by-side.
Stellantis wont shell out for another new plant, and connor assembly is too small. They COULD build a Dakota in Mexico at the Saltillo plant or even at Toluca where the Compass is made (and where the PT cruiser and fiat 500 were made).
If they were willing to do it, they should bring the RAM 1000 or Fiat Toro up to US Safety standards and bring that here. Problem there is volume.
Lots of options, and as you said, something worth jumping on now rather than later.
But FYI to everyone else, Santa Cruz and Maverick are NOT super offroad capable. The SC is based on the same CAR platform as the elantra, sonata, and Tucson (and I think santa fe but dont quote me on that). So it'll drive smooth and more like a car but good luck taking it to Moab. Same thing with Maverick. Ford's compact truck was a replacement for the Fiesta, Focus AND technically the Fusion. It even shares its platform with those smaller vehicles. So it too is a city truck first and a weekend warrior 2nd. In some ways, the SC is better in power than the Canyon and Colorado, but once you start talking ZR2 and Bison and AT4 off road, especially with the diesel, the SC falls short.