The one built in Argentina Ram Dakota may sport a modern face and a classic name from the Dodge/Ram catalog, but this isn’t the all-American design it might present itself as.
Unlike the full-size 1500, 2500 and 3500 pickups or the smaller, Brazilian-built, crew-cab, unibody Rampage soon to be exported to Europe, the body-on-line Dakota was not developed entirely by Ram.
Instead, like the Ram 1200 sold in Mexico, the double-cab Dakota ute, introduced in August with the Dakota Nightfall concept, is a slightly redesigned F70 ute from China’s Changan.
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Unlike the Ram 1200, the Dakota is produced in Latin America – more specifically in Argentina, where Volkswagen Australia previously sourced the original Amarok.
The new Dakota, which was first introduced in Warlock trim before being unveiled last week in luxurious Laramie trim, will go on sale in Argentina in December 2025 before launching in Brazil in 2026.
The Dakota is not offered in Australia, and Ram Trucks Australia has not yet committed to the left-hand drive Rampage either. However, the company has previously indicated that it wants to take on the pickup brand’s nearest rival, the Ford Ranger, a new U.S.-developed model that will go into production in the U.S. in 2028.
The new Latin American ute carries the Dakota nameplate that was last seen on a midsize ute sold as Dodge and then Ram until 2011, and which was expected to be reserved for the upcoming U.S.-built ute.
Both are powered by a 2.2-litre turbodiesel engine producing 149kW of power and 450Nm of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and an all-wheel drive system with 4×4 auto mode, an electrically controlled rear differential lock and hill descent control.
The Latin American Dakota also features four-wheel disc brakes, a braked towing capacity of 3500kg and a payload of up to 1020kg.
As a preview of some of the features that may also be found on the North American Dakota, which is all but certain to be sold in Australia, LED headlights are standard, with the Laramie also featuring an LED light bar at the front connecting the headlights.
In the interior of this more luxurious trim level, not only the seats, but also the door panels and the dashboard are upholstered in brown leather.
All Dakotas have a 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster and a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as satellite navigation and off-road pages.
An all-round view camera system with transparent chassis mode is offered, and additional safety features include autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, blind spot monitoring, lane departure warning and rear cross-traffic warning.
Ram in Brazil says the Dakota is the brand’s “first mid-size pickup since its independence in 2009,” although that’s not true – the Dakota was preceded not only by the related 1200, but also, in select Middle Eastern markets, by an earlier 1200 that was based on the Mitsubishi Triton.
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