The Argentinian-built Ram Dakota may wear a modern face and a classic name from the Dodge/Ram back catalogue, but this isn’t the all-American ute it may present as.
Unlike the full-size 1500, 2500 and 3500 pickups, or the smaller, unibody Rampage dual-cab built in Brazil, which will soon be exported to Europe, the body-on-frame Dakota wasn’t wholly developed by Ram.
Instead, the dual-cab Dakota ute – previewed in August with the Dakota Nightfall concept – is, like the Ram 1200 sold in Mexico, a lightly restyled F70 ute from Chinese company Changan.
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Unlike the Ram 1200, the Dakota will be produced in Latin America – specifically, in Argentina, from where Volkswagen Australia previously sourced the original Amarok.
The new Dakota, first revealed in Warlock trim before being shown off in luxury Laramie spec last week, will go on sale in Argentina in December 2025, before rolling out to Brazil in 2026.
The Dakota won’t be offered in Australia, and Ram Trucks Australia hasn’t locked in the thus far left-hand drive-only Rampage either. It has previously, however, indicated it wants to take the pickup brand’s next Ford Ranger rival, a new US-developed model entering production in the US in 2028.
The new Latin American ute uses the Dakota nameplate, last applied to a mid-size ute sold as a Dodge and then a Ram until 2011 and which had been expected to be reserved for the upcoming US-built ute.
Both are powered by a 2.2-litre turbo-diesel engine producing 149kW of power and 450Nm of torque, mated with an eight-speed automatic transmission and a four-wheel drive system with a 4×4 Auto mode, an electrically controlled rear differential lock, and hill descent control.
The Latin American Dakota also features four-wheel disc brakes, boasts braked towing capacity of 3500kg, and has a payload of up to 1020kg.
Potentially previewing some of the equipment that may also appear in 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 up front that connects the headlights.
Inside, this more luxurious trim level features brown leather upholstery, not only the seats but also on the door panels and dashboard.
All Dakotas feature 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.
A surround-view camera system is offered, featuring a transparent chassis mode, while other safety equipment includes autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist, and rear cross-traffic alert.
Ram in Brazil says the Dakota is the brand’s “first mid-size pickup truck since its independence in 2009”, though that isn’t true – the Dakota was preceded by not only the related 1200, but also an earlier 1200 in select Middle Eastern markets based on the Mitsubishi Triton.
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