2023 RAM Dakota It was 2018 when RAM confirmed Dakota’s revival on Capital Market Day. Listed as a midsize/metric-ton pickup in the automaker’s presentation, the newcomer is still not being spied on.
The rumor mill suggested that Stellantis cancel the project altogether, but as expected, those rumors were quashed by a subsequent report from Automotive News.
Now expected to arrive in 2022 as a 2023 model, the Dakota will no doubt borrow some design cues from 1500.
2023 RAM Dakota Review
Crafted with familiar stylistic influences by pixel artist Kleber Silva, the mid-sized pickup before your eyes also features multiple tow hooks, sleek headlights with signature LED lighting accents, and the automaker’s logo in large letters right in the center of the front grille.
The side profile, tailgate, and taillamps aren’t particularly impressive, and the same can be said about the bling-bling wheel design and square bore. As far as the actual Dakota is concerned, it’s pretty safe to assume that the RAM will enhance the Gladiator recipe with more capabilities.
While closely related to the Wrangler Unlimited, the Gladiator is a bit more practical thanks to its 1,700 pounds (771 kilogRAM) payload capacity and 7,650 pounds (3,470 kilogRAM) maximum towing when properly equipped.
At the very top of the spectrum, the Ford Ranger has the highest payload (1,770 pounds or 803 kilogRAM) while the Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon siblings can tow up to 7,700 pounds (3,493 kilogRAM).
As far as the greasy bits are concerned, RAM is expected to sell the Dakota with a 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 as the standard engine. A 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V6 and 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder PHEV drivetrain based on the upcoming Gladiator 4xe for the 2022 model year is also very likely.
For now, RAM’s answer for a mid-size pickup truck is the 1500 Classic which costs $4,095 less than the DT-generation 1500. At $28,700 before heading to the Tradesman Regular Cab, this is definitely an attractive proposition as a work truck with just enough comfortable critters.
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New 2023 Dodge RAM Dakota EV Pickup Concept
RAM will join a growing list of full-size electric pickup trucks with its own EV pickup concept this year, previewing the new RAM 1500 EV on sale in 2024.
With dates far from competitors like the Ford F-150 Lightning and Chevy Silverado EV will go on sale sooner, and RAM is still asking customers for feedback on what they want in their EV truck at the 2022 Chicago Auto Show, we have a few questions for RAM Chief Mike Koval.
How far is the truck, exactly? When it comes a little late, it will compete with the smaller 2022 GMC Hummer EV and 2022 Rivian R1T on sale now, along with the 2023 Ford F-150 Lightning that goes on sale this spring, and the upcoming 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV.
Offering work trucks in spring 2023 and RST for retail customers in fall 2023. Even the 2024 GMC Sierra EV is also likely to be on sale by the time the RAM hits dealerships in 2024. The only competitor RAM might not have to worry about is the Tesla Cybertruck.
2023 RAM Dakota News
The good news: the electric 1500 RAM development seems to be doing well. We’ll see a concept truck by the end of the year, RAM brand head Mike Koval told MotorTrend. We won’t see a production version until 2024, and it will go on sale soon after.
The automaker promises to include customer feedback and thinks it could benefit from multiple perspectives on the successes and failures of the competition as they pave the way ahead for RAM.
RAM is preparing a “solution portfolio” that includes not only fully battery-electric RAM by 2024, but also a plug-in hybrid range-extender that will use a combustion engine to keep the battery charged, which will power the motors that drive the wheels.
The RAM line will also continue to develop the eTorque mild hybrid, as well as conventional combustion-powered trucks.
We first learned about the range extender that Stellantis executives dubbed the REPB, for the “long-range electric paradigm breaker,” last summer.
We suspect it may refer to a pending RAM mid-range pickup also in the works, but Koval told us in Chicago that the range extender will actually be part of the 1500 RAM family. Who knows, maybe 1500, and the new mid-range offering will be a REPB.
Anyway, Stellantis says all vehicles in the RAM lineup will be electrified by 2025, so future midsize pickups will have to find something.
2023 RAM Dakota Specs
As for the full-size electric RAM pickup, the company claims the platform already exists. The truck will drive a new STLA FRAME that will support all major body-on-frame vehicles regardless of the powertrain—and teaser photos show the battery integrated into the frame.
The global platform is flexible, with space for up to three motors. Koval did not say whether the truck would launch with the three available motors; The image appears to show the two motors.
The teaser photo also shows a gap behind the battery. Space for a cool RAM box for storage? “Probably,” said Koval, adding that smart, sensible storage solutions are part of RAM’s DNA, perhaps suggesting RAM will have some party tricks and hopefully useful features.
RAM doesn’t have to be the first electric truck, it just has to be the best, says Koval. This is a bold strategy; we’ll see if it pays off for him. The Koval promises more power, range, and comfort than the competition.
To get there, the brand has introduced the RAM Revolution program to get feedback from current truck owners.
There will be a RAM Real Talk Tour across the country to gather advice over the year, likely going straight into concept development next year. Input will also be requested at RAMRevolution.com.
Research shows truck buyers are more open-minded to the idea of electrification but are unwilling to compromise on the truck’s core utility attributes and capabilities, such as towing and hauling, Koval said.
The feedback can be as broad as changing styles. The teaser photo shows the electric RAM has a slimmer and more aerodynamic look than current trucks. Customers can consider and influence the final concept and look, says Koval.
There is no flexibility to drastically change the silhouette, but it can be adjusted based on the customer’s reaction.
One other thing that customers can consider: is what to call. Many suspected the trademark “Revolution” could be the truck’s name, but it turns out that it’s actually for the program that chose the original name.
Should the Koval use 1500 EV RAM as GM did with the Silverado EV? Or add a new name as the F-150 lineup did with the Lightning branding? “All options are on the table,” said the head of RAM, and the feedback program was now open.
Brands want to be different. Koval says RAM, a three-time MotorTrend Truck of the Year winner, has changed the way people think about pickups, and the RAM EV will do the same for electric trucks again.
The RAM pickup will be the second EV for the brand; there will be a ProMaster RAM battery-electric commercial van in 2023 with Amazon as the first fleet customer.
We’re still waiting on details of the RAM midsize truck in the works, one of eight vehicles announced to be coming in the next four years.
Koval said the brand knew the mid-size truck segment was popular and growing, and RAM needed to be a player. We’ve tried what we think the new Dakota pickup might like in our exclusive render included above.
Koval also emphasized that the STLA FRAME is too big a platform for a midsize pickup, and since it’s the only body-on-frame platform Stellantis has, we’re assuming that the Dakota successor will be made with unibody construction. Koval won’t confirm, but we’ll be counting on more news on this front soon.
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2023 RAM Dakota MSRP
2023 RAM Dakota Price That time of year is when most manufacturers show their new creations to win the hearts of truck lovers. As far as pricing goes, $25,000 is a starting point for the base trim.
2023 RAM Dakota MPG
Premium gasoline 12 combined city/highway MPG 10 city 14 highway 8.3 gals/100 miles
2023 RAM Dakota Release Date
The release date of the Ram Dakota 2024 will likely be in late 2023. It will be available for purchase at Ram dealers across the United States, as well as in select international markets.
