Dodge Dakota Specifications

The Dodge Dakota is a mid-size truck currently being produced by the Ram division of the Chrysler Group. When the Dakota was first introduced in 1987, it was the first mid-size truck on the market and was designed to have the utility of the full-size truck along with the sportiness and fuel-efficiency of a compact. Since that first generation, the Dakota has been through two major style changes, one from 1997 to 2004 and the last from 2008 to the current 2010 model.

First-Generation Dodge Dakota

The first-generation Dodge Dakota, introduced for model year 1987, was available with either a 2.2-liter 4-cylinder engine or a 3.9-liter V6. The short 6 ½-foot bed was similar to small-size competitors such as the Chevy S-10 and the Ford Ranger, while the long 8-foot bed was designed to compete with the full-size market with a bed long enough to hold 4x8 plywood sheets. In 1991, Dodge introduced a Dakota model with a V8 engine but the body styling remained the same. The first-generation Dakota also saw the short-lived convertible Shelby Dakota in models years 1989 to 1991, with padded rollbars and a five-speed manual transmission.

The Dodge Dakota underwent a major restyling in 1997 and was made to look like a miniature Dodge Ram full-size truck. The standard Dakota had a 3.9-liter six-cylinder engine while the Dakota R/T featured a 5.9-liter V8. The four-door Quad cab was introduced in 2000 and combined the full four-door cab with a short bed. During the second generation, Dodge discontinued the four-cylinder option because the six-cylinder engine offered similar fuel efficiency with greater power and towing capacity. The second generation offered more seating area, with 72 inches of room from side to side and a rear-facing bench seat on Club-cab models that expanded seating to six people.

The current generation of Dodge Dakota was introduced in 2008 and will be the final generation of Dakota, because Chrysler has announced that the brand will be discontinued after 2011. The third generation brought the Dakota into fierce competition with full-size trucks by increasing the towing power to 7,050 pounds and adding a larger bed with a built-in cargo box. For this final generation, Dodge introduced a new 302-horsepower, 4.7-liter V8 that can use standard or E85 ethanol.