Dodge unveils redesigned 2008 Dakota
Dodge unveils redesigned 2008 Dakota
Scott Burgess / The Detroit News - - Interior of the 2008 Dodge Dakota Sport Extended Cab See full image
The 2008 Dodge Dakota Sport Extended Cab boosts a more powerful V-8 engine, a new hood and fenders and a refreshed front end.
Interior of the 2008 Dodge Dakota Sport Extended Cab See full image
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Interior of the 2008 Dodge Dakota Laramie Crew Cab See full image
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Interior of the 2008 Dodge Dakota Laramie Crew Cab See full image
The Dodge Dakota is getting an extensive makeover as DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler Group tries to give the midsize pickup a unique identity.
The 2008 Dakota will be unveiled Wednesday at the Chicago Auto Show sporting a more powerful V-8 engine, a new hood and fenders and a refreshed front end. New headlights, a revised grille and a wider stance give it a more aggressive face.
"We're trying to reposition the Dakota to look less like a baby Ram," said Dodge spokesman Dan Bodene.
Dodge, the Chrysler Group's best-selling brand, needs the pickup to establish a new market base. The truck has struggled against Asian rivals, which have taken the lead in the compact pickup market.
Demand for the Dakota, which was redesigned in 2003, dropped 26.9 percent last year, according to Autodata Corp., which tracks vehicle sales.
The all-new 4.7-liter V-8 will push 290 horsepower, a 25 percent increase over the previous V-8, and generate 320-pound-feet of torque. The E85 capable V-8 Dakota can tow 7,050 pounds.
The standard engine on the 2008 Dakota will remain the 3.7-liter Magnum V-6, which produces 210 horsepower and 235-pound feet of torque.
The brawny truck will include more options such as built-in cargo-box, utility rails, heated bench seats and an under-seat storage system.
The Dakota also will receive a new instrument panel, center console and other changes.
"The interior is designed to provide an ergonomically friendly cockpit with improved comfort, utility and thoughtful storage amenities to complement a variety of lifestyles," Chrysler Group vice president and chief truck designer Ralph Gilles said in a statement.
The changes are meant to give the Dakota a chance to stand on its own merits, said Bodene.
Small pickups were once thought of as feeder vehicles for bigger trucks, meaning small truck buyers were expected to eventually move up the line and buy full-size pickups. But small trucks attract a different group of customers, Bodene said.
"Our research has shown that only 10 percent of the people who buy a small truck move on to larger ones," he said.
Analyst Erich Merkle, director of forecasting at IRN Inc., an automotive consulting company in Grand Rapids, agrees many small truck buyers don't move on to larger trucks of the same brand.
"New customers don't seem to be nearly as loyal as those in the past," said Merkle, adding that refreshing the Dakota may not be enough to spur sales.
"It seems like the Big Three has given up on the midsize truck market," Merkle said.
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