Where I live, I see a lot of regular-cab Tacomas, Rangers, and Colorados, but I don't see many Dakotas. I was at the local dealership having the oil changed in my truck, and I asked a friend who works for Chrysler why Dodge no longer offers a regular-cab Dakota. He told me Dodge is working on a true compact truck with a regular cab for the next generation, which would shrink in size (closer to the Jeep Cherokee), and that the styling will look somewhat like the 2009 Ram, with a coil-spring suspension and a diesel. He also said there may be a new V-6 and Chrysler is building a new engine plant. What have you heard?
Derek Cornett
Slemp, Kentucky
Dear Reader,
We've also heard several rumors about the next Dakota, the most recent being that the next-gen truck is going to be a unibody like the Ridgeline. [Similar to the Dodge Rampage that debuted at the 2006 NYAS] We wouldn't be surprised if it gets a small diesel as an option, but we don't expect a regular cab to return to the Dakota lineup any time soon.
- Truck Trend