The Dodge Dakota -- as we know it today -- will go away in 2011,
but looking at current sales of the mid-size pickup, it may as
well be dead already. Chrysler has only sold 10,000 Dakotas this
year, with an anemic 663 units cleared in November. But while
the Dakota is selling poorly (it's not helped by being too close
in price to the much more capable Ram), it doesn't necessarily
mean that the enigmatic pickup won't live on in another form.
Coinciding with earlier reports, the Detroit News says Chrysler
is contemplating a unibody Dakota to replace the current model.
A more fuel efficient car-based platform could yield better
efficiency, especially when paired with a turbocharged four
cylinder with direct injection. The car-based truck probably
wouldn't be a hauler but it would still have a functional bed
similar to the Honda Ridgeline, and AWD would likely be an
available option. Fred Diaz, the new head of the Ram brand, told
the DN that the Pentastar is looking both at Fiat and from
within its own stable of