The 2023 Los Angeles Dodgers weren’t good enough. Sure, they won their nine millionth NL West Division title, but this was quickly followed by a depressing sweep in the first round of the playoffs that saw their ace pitcher get dusted for six runs in the top of the 1st in Game One. The 2024 Los Angeles Dodgers, after a few small lineup changes, were good enough to win it all. Stellantis has also recently undergone a clubhouse shuffle and suddenly things are starting to make sense.
I’m going to miss being able to rely on Stellantis execs getting into another pointless fight every other Morning Dump, which is likely not a sentiment shared by anyone who still works at the company. Will the company suddenly conquer the world next year? I doubt it, but the news is great if you’re a RAM fan or a UAW worker.
Ford’s attempt at making smaller trucks has been a model for success, with the Maverick in particular creating its own segment and outselling the Tacoma during that truck’s generational switchover. The problem Ford has isn’t building products people like, it’s keeping those products out of service bays. Alas, the Maverick is being recalled again, and for a reason that’s becoming too common with hybrids and EVs.
Oliver Zipse, current head of BMW, isn’t be recalled, but he’s going to retire next year, which means he’s only got a little time to accomplish all his goals. Perhaps he’ll want to go to Škoda? I hear Škoda is killing it.
The Ram Midsizer Is Coming
Everyone implicitly understands “good cop, bad cop” even if they’ve never been interrogated by the police. For a time, Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares (not pictured) was the ultimate bad cop, managing to get into a fight with:
- Dealers
- Suppliers
- Workers in the United States
- Workers in Italy
- The Italian federal government
- At least one Italian state government
That is less than ideal for a company that makes cars and, eventually, the Stellantis Board of Directors got fed up with Tavares and made it basically impossible for him to stay with the company. Since then, it’s been a much chiller vibe at Stellantis as many of the decisions Tavares made were suddenly undone.
One of the biggest fights that Tavares picked was over the production of the new Dodge Durango in Detroit and a potential mid-size electric truck in Illinois. The United Auto Workers, backed by President Biden, negotiated record contracts with Detroit’s 2.5 automakers. This included the reopening of the long-time Chrysler/FCA/Stellantis facility in Belvidere, Illinois.
Then, all of a sudden, Stellantis made it sound like the mid-size electric truck project was on hold. And, actually, maybe Durango and more Ram 1500 production should move to Mexico or Canada. The UAW, unhappy with this, threatened to strike. It’s been an ongoing sticking point, but then things started to change.
Prepare yourself, because we’re entering a section that will be highly colored by your preconceived political biases, even though I suspect the outcome would have been the same no matter who won the presidency. The news, via the Detroit Free Press, is that the next-generation Dodge Durango will be built in the company’s main Detroit plant, and Belvidere will be getting a midsize truck of some kind.
If you ask the UAW, this has everything to do with the yeeting of Carlos Tavares into the Sun and the UAW’s new contract. From that Freep article:
The UAW noted in a statement provided by spokesman Nathan Pensler that the investment news followed months of the union pushing the company to keep its 2023 contract commitments in Detroit and Belvidere. The union had accused the company of confirming plans to move production of the next-generation Durango to the Windsor Assembly Complex in Ontario, which the company disputed. The current version is built at the Detroit Assembly Complex-Jefferson, formerly known as Jefferson North Assembly Plant.
The UAW said in its statement that both commitments had been “walked back by disgraced former CEO Carlos Tavares, and are being honored by the company’s new leadership,” but that with the new commitments related to Detroit and Belvidere, it had agreed to settle its grievances over those issues.
Sure. Maybe. Stellantis probably didn’t want a strike and the new UAW contract theoretically gave the union the ability to walk off the job even if a commitment was delayed, although a court was eventually going to decide if that’s the way the contract was actually written. It’s convenient for the union that this issue wasn’t tested. Additionally, when Tim Kuniskis returned as the CEO of RAM he made it very clear he wanted the Hemi V8 back, as well as a midsize truck, going so far as to say that RAM wasn’t really a truck brand without one.
Let’s not ignore the elephant in the room, or the White House, in this case. Executives always want to curry favor with presidents, and our new president is about as open to being curried as chicken breast in Leicester. By waiting until there was a new president, Stellantis essentially gets to hand President Trump a win without having to do anything other than not to do the thing they maybe weren’t ever going to actually do.
Stellantis Chairman John Elkann did spend a lot of time with Trump before the inauguration as CNBC reports:
“John told the President that building on our proud, more than 100-year history in the U.S., we plan to continue that legacy by further strengthening our U.S. manufacturing footprint and providing stability for our great American workforce,” Antonio Filosa, head of Stellantis’ North American operations, said in the message.
One could imagine that Stellantis would have done the same with an incoming President Harris, but maybe not. Stellantis could be playing good cop/bad cop with the new administration. Conversely, President Trump threatening tariffs against Canada and Mexico will most likely result in automakers and suppliers planning more production here in the United States.
In that way, it’s possible that President Trump could be gaining something from threatening Stellantis over something he isn’t going to actually do by getting them to agree to not do something maybe they weren’t actually going to do.
For us, though, the important question is: What is this thing going to be? An electric truck? I don’t think that makes sense. An EREV truck built on an STLA Large platform also shared with the new Durango?
Maverick And Bronco Sport Recalled Over 12V Battery
Cars have been using 12-volt batteries for, oh, 75 years. Once automakers started regularly shoving high voltage systems like air-conditioning into cars it made sense. You’d assume this technology would all be figured out by now. Your assumption would be quite wrong.
These batteries have been big trouble lately, especially in electric cars. The issue with certain 2021-2023 Ford Bronco Sports and 2022-2023 Mavericks seems to be a simple case of poor supplier design, at least according to NHTSA documents:
In affected vehicles, the 12V battery may experience internal weld and/or caston-strap failures, which could lead to a sudden battery degradation while driving. If the battery suddenly degrades during a drive it can lead to a vehicle that is unable to restart after an auto stop/start event or experience a stall while coming to a stop at low speed. Either of these conditions may be accompanied by a loss of 12-volt accessories, including hazard lights.
The supplier’s cast-on strap (COS) process positioned battery plate lugs too close to strap walls. This leads to cracked COSs, open battery cells and ultimately battery failures. Additionally, weak tombstone welds are occurring due to weld temperatures being too high or weld position being offset relative to the target position. Prior software released as part of FSA 24S24 is unable to detect certain electrical signatures present on failed batteries and/or failed to disable stop/start functionality quickly enough.
That’s less than ideal. The supplier in question is Camel Battery of China’s Hubei Province, if you were curious. OEM batteries are usually trash, so this isn’t a surprise.
BMW Boss Oliver Zipse To Retire In 2026
BMW CEO Oliver Zipse, pictured above, has done a good job at BMW. Was it a great job? It’ll take a lot of time to know. Enthusiasts are largely cranky about some of the choices the company has made, sure, though enthusiasts are harder to please than shareholders.
Of Germany’s big auto groups, I think Mercedes is the best positioned for the future while Volkswagen is the one most burdened by the past. BMW, at least, is the most successful in the present moment. Its lineup isn’t my favorite. I don’t think it makes the best-looking cars. I’m not sure what’s going on with Mini. Overall, though, BMW has strayed the least from its roots and its EVs are currently the best of what Germany has to offer.
Everything, though, is going to ride on the company’s Neue-Klasse architecture and new sales model. BMW gave Zipse a lot of runway and a contract extension. That extension, according to Manager Magazine, is coming to an end, leaving Zipse only so much time to secure his legacy [translated]:
Oliver Zipse will leave behind a completely newly developed vehicle architecture and a production facility that has been revamped for the electric era, including new battery plants – an epoch-defining legacy. He will have technologically linked the group’s subsidiary Mini with Great Wall Motor from China . And he will have set all the course for centralized vehicle sales based on the Tesla model.
“He is to bring our most important project to market: the New Class,” Supervisory Board Chairman Reithofer told manager magazin in December – and gave Zipse another clear task. “That will happen largely in the next two years.”
It’s going to be a fun one to watch.
Škoda Increased Production And Sales In 2024
Škoda, VW’s Czech-based subbrand, isn’t one that most Americans think about a lot. Unlike Cupra, it isn’t coming here anytime soon, and the vehicles are mostly extremely Euro variants of cars we already get. This means, of course, that I think about Škoda all the time.
According to the company, things are going great!
In 2024, Škoda Auto manufactured over 925,000 vehicles at its global production facilities, a year-on-year increase of 4.2%. Additionally, the company produced more than 280,000 battery systems for electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles across the Volkswagen Group, over 1 million transmissions and nearly 500,000 engines. The main plant in Mladá Boleslav accounted for the share of this success by producing 575,000 Škoda vehicles. In 2024, production of a record number of new and refreshed models began, including the Scala, Kamiq, Kylaq, Octavia and Kodiaq model series. The company also continued to strengthen its international operations: capacity at the Pune plant in India was expanded for the Kylaq compact SUV, Škoda’s third model made in India for India. Additionally, preparations for vehicle assembly in Vietnam were finalised, and Kodiaq SKD production started in Kazakhstan.
Sales in 2024 were also up more than 6% in a challenging period. The good news doesn’t stop there, though, as the company is now showing off the Superb SportLine, a slightly gussied-up version of the already excellent Suburb sedan and wagon. It’s also available in a PHEV version with a very usable 79 miles of all-electric range (WLTP) from a 19.7 kWh battery.
What I’m Listening To While I’m Writing TMD
I’m not sure why, but it took me a while to finally give Lola Young’s album some time. I’d heard her on the new Tyler the Creator album and just sort of glossed over her. This was a mistake. Please enjoy “Messy,” a great track that works on your local independent music channel or any pop station.
The Big Question
What should the new Ram truck be?
Lead photo: Stellantis via Motor1
Which one?
That is some bad captioning, for sure.
Perhaps, but I was highly entertained when I thought about it. Which is all I really want so I’m ok with it, LOL.
I’m just assuming that Oli is the one in the black faux snakeskin.
That passenger sliding door is…. interesting. I feel like it solves a problem that does not exist for the sake of increasing costs.
That said, I like it.
That’s an old, and very 2000s, concept vehicle. I do think the sliding door helps solve the problem of ever growing vehicle sizes/girth and crowded parking lots though, and avoiding door dings and easing ingress/egress/loading. It would be very impractical/impossible with a traditional cab/bed truck design though.
I would definitely go for a sliding door. You’re right that it doesn’t really solve any actual problem, but it is interesting and would make getting stuff into/out of the back seat at least as convenient as the old clamshell design. An extended cab with one big sliding door on each side would be even better, but even less practical to build.
Regardless, I don’t think they’ll do any sliding doors on any of their pickups and I’m not willing to put the time, effort, and money into modifying one. The clamshell extended cab will remain my preferred setup.
It solves the problem of children. Or rather, it solves the problem of you opening your rear door to let your kid get in and out of the car so they dont bash the car next to you… or your garage wall…
Looks very goofy on a truck, but I’m here for it.
Just CKD kit the Ram 700 and 1200 that other markets already get.
Outdo Tesla, CyberRam, 3 block shaped body, block wheels, square steering wheel, go full Minecraft. None of this stainless steel junk, have it all granite countertop slab (epoxied over plastic of course)
Of course in all seriousness, they just need to take the Pacifica Platform, with the plug-in, Truck-ify it like Ford did with the Escape, and sell it starting around high 20s and profit. I miss the days of car makes coming out with something and everybody copying, like El Camino/Ranchero/Rampage, even AMC was looking at at Ute.
Ford comes out with the truck looking Maverick 4 years ago and so far the only ‘competition’ is a Santa Cruz that gets half the mpg in base trim and looks like a 80% scale gen 1 Ridgeline.
That’s…actually a really good idea I think
I mean it’s already got a plug in option, awd option, tow rating of 3600lbs, shouldn’t take much juicing to match or beat the Maverick’s 4,000 max, should work if they could keep the cost down.
A Chinese battery being bad? Say it ain’t so!
Chinese made batteries can be top notch. Or absolute garbage. It all depends on what was asked for and what is allowed through quality control.
I agree. From my experience with Chinese suppliers in an industrial setting, it’s amazing how quickly they can optimize to a specified tolerance (and then optimize juuust as far below that tolerance that they can get away with).
Doing QC on incoming shipments where acceptable limits were something like +/-0.5% on quantity for a 1000 count item we sure got a lot of boxes of 996 and not many of 994.
My hobby has a lot of Chinese stuff. Some folks take pride in how cheap they can go before it’s parts only. Others pay more for stuff because the company stands behind their name on the product.
Looking forward to Toyota pricing and Stellantis reliability, which these days really is just Stellantis pricing and Stellantis reliability.
Indeed!
https://i.imgur.com/OtZi0rt.jpg
You’ve sewed the seeds of doubt.
Is that actually Oliver Zipse or is that some inside joke?
I can not trust auto execs photos. If it’s a joke, I don’t recognize this one.
Based on a quick Google Image Search, yes that’s actually him; on the right.
The Autopian is honest about the source. They always marked the Tavares photos with credit to SNL.
They need either the Dodge Rammer, or the RAM Dodger.
In all seriousness, an EREV truck would be great in the midsize segment.
The Dakota was a solid truck until they ruined it with aborted fetus styling. 1st gen sold well, 2nd gen sold AWESOME, and was basically a Tacoma size but with a V8,and the third gen looked so horrible that sales tanked and killed the entire model.
Honestly they should just bring back the 2nd gen Dakota. Update the lights a little, update the interior, keep the styling on the sheet metal pretty close to how it was, maybe sharpen it up a bit, and bang, you’d have a huge hit.
You’re not wrong. Style it to be a baby 1500 (just like the 2nd gen) and it’ll sell like hotcakes. Assuming of course they get reliability sorted.
1st gen: Sold over 1 million
2nd gen: Even more, way over 1 million sold
3rd gen: https://www.allpar.com/attachments/32181
My first brand new car purchase was a 99 Sport Extended cab, it’s the truck I compare all other trucks to, I loved it, and had life not changed drastically I may still have it.
Sales were tanking after the first year, but they had been declining each year over the first half of the 2000s, and then every competitor declined in sales starting in 2007 for the next couple years. For the Dakota specifically, I figure it was more a couple other factors:
Chrysler’s own struggles at the time – cheapened, etc. Styling’s important but lack of trust in the company is too.
The other being competition catching up. It launched the same year the newly upsized Tacoma and Frontier did, and both of those were quicker with their V6s than the V8 Dakota. No longer had the competitive advantage it once did.
*sales of the 3rd gen tanking after the first year, that is
I didn’t realize the sales dropped so precipitously. About 104,000 sold in 2005, then down to 10k-13k from 2009 to 2011. That’s not just the economy or gas prices being an issue. That’s customers rejecting the product.
It is wild looking back at some of the sales drops at the time. A lot of models had some record highs in the mid-2000s and record lows by the end of the decade. Even Toyotas like the Avalon, Sienna, 4Runner – drops of >70%.
Chrysler definitely had some steep ones. Dakota’s drop was probably the steepest among all model lines by %, but the volume loss was huge on some models. Grand Cherokee was always good for >200k sales, hit 213k in 2005 (1st year of the new WK gen), down to 50k in 2009.
No disagreement on the 3rd gen Dakota being a step backwards, I’ll add – but that was true of most new Chrysler products at the time, just some models could cover it up better. You can offload buzzy compacts to fleets or firesale minivans or lean into Jeep branding for other models, but the midsize truck segment was harder. Once they updated products with some of Fiat’s cash, most models did a lot better in sales. I imagine they could have made the Dakota work in the same way had they stuck with it but the Big 3 put a pause on the segment as a whole.
You also have to remember that at that time (circa 2008-2010) that the Great Recession was ongoing and manufacturers were taking a hard hit sales wise.
Is that true? I’m pretty sure the V8 Dakota could still drag a V6 Tacoma around, if tow ratings were anything to go by (6600lbs Dakota, to 5000lbs Taco)
I don’t reallly judge trucks based on acceleration metrics, I judge them based on their ability to do truck things.
At that time then DaimlerChrysler was transitioning. Older,OHV pushrod engines were being replaced by SOHC engines,in particular the older Magnum V6/V8 engines were being replaced by the PowerTech engines to comply with CAFE and emissions standards.
The Dakota was one of the vehicles that was affected by this.
Yeah, the V8 still had an overall advantage for towing capacity for sure, although in those gens Tacomas were rated up to 6500 lbs and Dakotas 7100 depending on specs. Point is less about pure acceleration and just how other trucks were advancing though. 2005 C/D comparo acknowledged the tow capacity but had it only ahead of the I5 Colorado in acceleration, worst in test mpg, and similar payload capacity.
With where gas prices headed in a couple years V8 quickly became a bad word too. Not that anyone was going to be buying the other trucks for fuel efficiency of course, but made it that much more difficult to sell which Chrysler definitely didn’t need at the time.
The Dakota in the C/D comparo had the std output V8 with a paltry 235hp. Quite good in 99 when it debuted but severely outclassed by the mid 2000s.
Dodge offered an H.O flavor as an option with 260hp and made it the standard V8 for 2008 along with dual spark plugs like on the HEMI for a much improved output around 300hp. That H.O engine makes it to 60 in the low 7s range, or about 2s quicker than the 2005 truck. Not bad for a 4500 lbs pig of a midsize truck.
That should’ve been the engine Dodge offered from the very beginning
Yeah, seemed like every domestic intro in that timeframe arrived with a powertrain disadvantage unless it was a unique product in its class, usually correcting it later but a little too late.
I had forgotten about the Dakota’s weight penalty as you noted below too until I looked at that old C/D comparison. I remember a good bit of grumbling that they didn’t design the Dakota to fit the 5.7, which the Durango offered and was obviously a big part of the Dodge branding then. But surely trying to protect some 1500 (the model) sales.
Not too different from GM trying to get by with the inline engines in the Colorado/Canyon and then eventually stuffing the V8 in, but that was probably more egregious since they also weren’t durable motors.
the V8 Dakota in H.O spec was quite capable, the problem is it was heavier than every other midsize truck out there except for the H3T. Sharing a platform with the Ram 1500 didn’t help here
This. 2nd gen is STILL a great looking truck. My dad had a 3rd gen, what a pile that thing is.
Not only did it look like crap (both in and out), its engine offerings took a dive. I know the 4.7 had been made available midway on the 2nd gens but it was only after a few years that customers realized how bad it was compared to the good ol’ LA V8.
Same with the crappy Powertech compared to the venerable 3.9.
There was absolutely nothing redeeming about the 3rd gens other than the interior room
Hot Take: the new small pickup should be badged as a chrysler. Aside from the Pacifica (and the Voyager trim package), they have no other vehicles. Maybe time to bust out the ol’ Fine Corinthian Leather while we’re at it.
Ram should not be shooting for the stars and trying to compete with Toyota. They should aim lower, like trying to be better than a shit stained mattress.
I would be worried for FCA if they were aiming low, at how low they might actually hit
Rampage is probably correct. RAM will only deliver on one page and not a complete book.
The new RAM (Dakota?) should be a reliable, affordable and attractive small truck to compete with the Ford Maverick. Should be? Yes. Actually will be? Well, it will be a Stellantis product, so my expectations will be low. Ford nailed 2o3. RAM will probably be the same result, but maybe Stellantis can be attractive and reliable (Ford is still setting a really low reliability bar).
Even though the newer Taco may not join the Tacos of Lore in the Hall of Greatness, it’s still competitive. RAM is being bombastic if they think they’ll be building a Taco eater mid-size truck. If any truck comes to fortition in the next few years, it will be quite the accomplishment. I’m taking odds on whether it will be the next Hornet or an actually good thing.
The Hornet is exactly what it will be. They’ll chop the top off the back, slap some sail pillars on it and voila, the 2026 Dodge Killer Hornet Rampage Extreme Max.
Maybe, just maybe it will be the Brazil market Rampage. That one actually looks very promising as something that won’t suck. Not sure where it would fit comparatively in the US market.
The powertrain will be a big question. In BR, it’s a turbo diesel or a turbo 2.0L 4cyl. The diesel is an obvious no-go from an emissions certification.
It would compete with the Maverick. They’re less than 5″ apart on every dimension.
Well, they don’t have an Alfa Romeo platform to steal here, so maybe we’ll get lucky? Or, maybe, Alfa will take it and make an Alfa Romeo Camion Quadrifoglio and we’ll get a worthy successor to the Tacoma X Runner.
Just take the Peugeot Landtrek that they already use for the Ram 1200, make sure it meets US standards, and move forward with it.
They can followup later with the Fiat Strada, aka Ram 700, and do the same thing again.
This should be low-effort, medium reward, and give them the basics.
This isn’t rocket science.
Weird that he has the same last name as the Stellantis guy. Are they related?
Whatever the mini Dodge is, it won’t be a 97 Ranger with crank windows and a regular cab, and therefore won’t be good enough for a large part of the commentariat.
Hell yeah brother
Anyone that doesn’t know it’ll be a 4 door CUV with a 4 foot bed appended to it isn’t paying attention.
And yet we will still get the whining once that’s confirmed.
BOF, as is required for Trucks
However everything points to it being a unibody Pickup, not a Truck.
Counterpoint: My unibody Maverick has more than twice the load carrying capacity of the BOF Tacoma I used to have. That Taco was almost useless after you put 300 lbs of people in the cab given it’s 800 lb capacity. Unibody might be what the Ram should be to compete.
Additionally, the Maverick has a higher payload than many of the off-road variants of current BOF trucks. Specifically the Raptor and TRX. Not that the Maverick is a true competitor to them, but it’s worth noting.
At least those vehicles have a reason for the lower payload capacity in that they’re set up for offroad use. My Taco really wasn’t.
Not contesting that in the slightest. There are plenty of quality pickups (like the original VW Rabbit Pickup), however they come with distinct disadvantages related to their unibody construction (as well as advantages). Quality recovery points, jack points, etc. tend to be lacking on unibody vehicles. While I have heard that modern Suburbans and Tahoes have very very weak frames that can’t be jacked up anywhere, most BOF vehicles can be jacked up damn near anywhere on the frame. I’ve never seen a BOF vehicle with a crunched frame from improper jacking, I’ve seen countless unibody vehicles with crunched frame rails due to improper jacking.
I think throwing everything with a bed (and some without like the PT Cruiser) into the Truck category is incorrect, and overall it does more harm than good.
Utes and Pickups are perfectly valid, but they’re different than Trucks, with different advantages and disadvantages. I understand that in other categories like Sedans BOF Sedans and Unibody ones are both just considered sedans, but police officers will tell you the difference between a Ford Crown Vic and a Ford Fusion PPV when it comes to durability, body repair, etc.
Personally I’m partial to BOF automobiles, because you can’t always access the designated jack points, and screw in recovery hooks/eyelets are godawful.
Yeah, there’s definitely a place for BOF vehicles. And yeah, unibody does have the drawbacks you point out. I still think unibody is fine for a small pickup that isn’t meant to be an off-roader though. They tend to handle better on pavement where they spend most of their time. It’s like driving a mid size SUV instead of a truck and in it’s segment, I think that’s a desirable trait. For what it’s worth, I refer to my Maverick as a trucklet, not a truck.
As do I. Personally I think all automobiles should be easily jacked up without damaging the frame, and should have quality tow/recovery points.
I agree with you there. Trying to use a floor jack instead of the scissor jack that came with a vehicle has caught me out more than once.
That’s what totally floors me and that I still don’t totally understand. The “little” unibody Maverick has a higher payload rating than a lot of midsize trucks and some full-size 1/2-tons! How is that?? It’s got a higher payload rating than our 2014 Ram 1500. Granted though, our Ram has a ridiculously low payload rating for a 1/2 ton truck :rolleyes:
In some cases it’s about the intended use of the vehicle. The raptor and TRX have off-road suspension designs that necessarily decrease the payload handling capacity. In other cases, like my former Tacoma, I think they just didn’t want to spend the money for more robust springs.
Send me that tasy Skoda wagon in that red, with a PHEV powertrain and I’ll buy one new. Unless the PHEV is crap, I don’t know a ton about Skoda, but I’ll buy the regular gas version new.
What should the new RAM truck be? Real.
The new Ram needs to be a Maverick competitor, rather than a Tacoma fighter. If they can do a good job if building it, is gonna print money!
Like this?
https://www.motorbiscuit.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Ram-1200-teaser.jpg?w=1024&h=663&strip=all&quality=89
Not a hybrid, so no.
They’d throw in a Hybrid for the US market.
I agree, trying to fight the Tacoma is an uphill battle and they’re going to be too late to take real advantage of the issues with the Tacoma launch. A Maverick fighter is more unique, the Rampage already exists and seems like the easiest route.
And AFAIK they don’t have any replacement on the low end for the commercial fleet side with the ProMaster City out of production. Sure, it’s no van, but ticks the boxes for something less trucklike/more efficient/lower cost for less heavier duty applications, in theory under $30k to start
Throw in a hybrid yes, but quality needs to come up on those powertrains for that…
Lola Young, huh? That song is all right, thanks for the tip.
Lola’ album, “My Mind Wanders and Sometimes Leaves Completely,” is a clever title that speaks to my experiences. I’m going to find it (the album) and check it out.
I bet the new Dakota will come only as a crew cab.
They need a stripped-down basic version with 1 row seating and a long-bed with Cummins turbodiesel, equipped with a manual and 4WD, for around $30k.
You know, an honest, no-bullshit work truck.
Stellantis would have to buy Toyota to match the scale of changes the 2024 Dodgers made.
Nothing major. Just a few hundred million dollars between friends.
Stellantis loves to announce vehicles that should’ve entered production 5 years ago.
And then go several years with no news, before announcing that they’re not going to actually build it after all, so here’s a new tape stripe package for the Durango
Chrysler tradition going way back.
Honorable mention to abruptly cancelling popular vehicles without giving them a second generation or having a replacement ready.
It looks more like a Ford Maverick/Hyundai Santa Cruz fighter than a Tacoma fighter. The bed seems very small. I wonder what they will use under it. I hope the architecture is more gladiator than Pacifica awd.
The truck in the OP is just a concept from ’06. Nobody knows what the new midsize thing will actually look like yet.
Thank you, I wondered about those renderings too. Looks like a giant toddler should be sticking out the top.
Yeah, sorry, to be clear we just used a fun old concept car.
I thought the fact it’s called a Dodge Rampage would give that away…