Brazilian president of Stellantis South America may have accidentally made the announcement.
It will be aimed squarely at the Ford Maverick.
It may take up to three years to arrive.
Pickups are almost always a solid bet in North America. This is especially true for the ex-Big 3 automakers who all but completely rely on truck sales to stay afloat. Ford’s recent reintroduction of the Ranger and the launch of the Maverick have proven that there continues to be demand for small and midsize trucks. And it looks as though Ram’s about to counter with a small truck of their own.
Talks and rumours involving the return of the Dakota date back many years and regularly resurface. This story however has an element that was missing from previous ones. According to Autoblog, while speaking to a group of local car media reps, Antonio Filosa, president of Stellantis South America, uttered the following: “The pickup will also be sold in the American market to face the Ford Maverick.”
Said pickup is a Ram 1200 that will be assembled on the Small Wide 4×4 platform that currently underpins the Jeep Renegade and Alfa Romeo Tonale. Details get somewhat foggy from here as the new truck would get a unibody construction for South America while, four our market, it would ride on a body-on-frame layout. Powertrain options could include the Renegade’s turbocharged 1.3-litre engine and possibly the 2.4-litre Tigershark 4-cylinder mill.
