Ram brought back a nameplate that’s been dead since 2011. The new Dakota is a proper midsize truck designed for South America, and it’s nothing like what Americans will eventually get.
This is the global version. The real American Dakota is still being sketched in Detroit.
The production Dakota keeps the Nightfall Concept’s muscular DNA. Bold lines. Prominent fenders. LED lighting front and back. A broad grille that screams intent.
It’s not some rebadged Fiat despite sharing the same underpinnings as the Titano and Peugeot Landtrek. Ram positioned it higher in the market, and the interior proves it. Soft touch materials.
A 12.3-inch infotainment screen. A 7-inch digital gauge cluster. Wireless phone charger. Six airbags. Multi-directional camera. Full ADAS suite. This Dakota feels like something worth owning.
The Warlock trim sits near the top and looks mean. Black badging. Unique decals. 17-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels. A sports bar. It’s the launch variant and it’s the one Ram is pushing hard.
Power comes from a 2.2-liter Multijet turbodiesel making 200 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque.
An 8-speed automatic handles the delivery. Standard four-wheel drive with low range. An electronically activated rear diff lock.
Four driving modes covering Normal, Sport, Sand, and Snow. This is built for work and adventure in equal measure.
The dimensions matter here too. It stretches 209.9 inches, which puts it in direct competition with the Toyota Hilux, Ford Ranger, Chevrolet S10, and Volkswagen Amarok.
Payload capacity tops out at 2,249 pounds. Cargo volume runs 42.7 cubic feet. Towing reaches 7,716 pounds.
Stellantis invested 368 million dollars to build this thing at their Córdoba facility in Argentina.
The Dakota launches in Argentina later this year. Brazil follows in early 2026. Don’t expect it in North America though.
Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa confirmed a completely different Dakota is coming to the US around 2027.
That version will be body-on-frame, run gasoline engines, and target the Tacoma and Colorado directly.
Filosa has seen the clay model. He called it beautiful. Pricing is expected to be under $40,000.
For now, South America gets the diesel Dakota. The US gets to wait for something built to American tastes. Two trucks. One name. Different missions.
