The Dodge Dakota is a mid sized pickup truck from DaimlerChrysler that was first put on the market on in 1987 with the
Dodge Ram 50. The Dodge Dakota has been well received, being nominated for the North American Truck of the Year award in 2000. The Dakota is attractive to many consumers because it's a size above the compact trucks such as the
Ford Ranger and below the larger
Ford F-150. The Dakota has a very conventional design, but is the only mid sized pickup that has an option V8 engine.
The first generation of the Dodge Dakota was available from 1987 until 1996, which offered Straight-4, and V6 engines with either a five-speed manual or a four speed automatic transmission. Four-wheel drive was also available with the first generation, but only with the V6 option. A six and a half foot and eight-foot bed were offered for the first generation, and fuel injection was added to the 3.9 litre V6 starting in 1988.
In 1989 consumers saw the arrival of the unusual Dodge Dakota convertible. This was the first convertible pickup since the Ford Model T and only about 2,500 were sold that first year. A "Club Cab" was offered in 1990 with just two doors. The Club Cab offered room for six, although the rear seat wasn't all that spacious and fit children more comfortably than adults. In 1991 the Dakota received a fresh new look with an aerodynamic looking grille and hood as well as a more powerful 5.3 litre V8 engine option. In the final year of the first generation Dodge updated the engine yet again to the Jeep 2.5 litre in the base model of the Dakota and this would carry over into the second generation as well.
The second generation of the Dodge Dakota started in 1997 and was complete in 2004. The new Dakota had the semi truck look like the Ram, but was still basically the same truck as it was in the first generation. 1998 offered the introduction of the R/T model with a powerful 5.9 litre Magnum V8 engine. In 2000 four door Quad-Cab's were added to the Dakota lineup, though they had a shorter bed than the first generation. The smaller V8 engine was traded in for a high-tech V8 the same year.
In 2002 the Dodge Dakota bid the four-cylinder engine farewell as Dodge acknowledged that most consumers wanted a V6 or V8 in their Dakota. By 2003 the V6 was considered standard in the Dakota and when that was coupled with a manual transmission it was almost as fuel efficient as the four-cylinder engine.
In 2005 the Dodge Dakota was redesigned and shared its platform with the Durango. The new Dakota was longer and wider and features new front and rear suspension. The Dakota offers just one V6 engine and two V8 engines to choose from. The Dodge Dakota will likely be updated for the 2007 and 2008 models.
