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More Details Emerge On The South American Ram Dakota

Body-On-Frame Toughness Meets Modern Refinement

Ram is preparing to grow its footprint in South America with the introduction of the 2027 Ram Dakota, a mid-size pickup designed to slot between the compact Rampage and the full-size Ram 1500. First previewed with the Dakota Nightfall Concept in São Paulo, the new truck is now inching closer to reality.

Recent reports from our friends at Autos Segredos reveal fresh details about the production model, giving us a better picture of what South American customers can expect when the Dakota rolls into showrooms.

Trim Levels: Balancing Practical and Premium – 

Ram Dakota Nightfall 4×4 Concept. (Ram).

At launch, the Dakota will be offered in two distinct trims: Big Horn and Laramie Night Edition.

The Big Horn is positioned as the mainstream choice, catering to customers seeking an everyday workhorse that combines capability with value. Meanwhile, the Laramie Night Edition will deliver a more premium feel, with added comfort and urban-inspired styling cues that cater to lifestyle-oriented buyers. This two-trim strategy mirrors Ram’s broader approach across its global lineup, offering versatility to appeal to both traditional truck owners and those who prioritize refinement.

Powertrain: Diesel Performance at Its Core – 

Ram Dakota Nightfall 4×4 Concept. (Ram).

Under the hood, both trims will share a common powerplant: the 2.2-liter Multijet II turbodiesel inline-four. This engine is already familiar to South American customers through its use in the Ram Rampage and Jeep® Compass, proving its reliability and performance credentials with 200 horsepower (149 kW) and 332 lb-ft (450 Nm) of torque.

Mated to this engine is a ZF 8HP50 8-speed automatic transmission, a highly regarded gearbox known for its smooth shifts and durability. Standard across the lineup will be a 4×4 drivetrain, ensuring the Dakota is ready for both rugged work environments and recreational off-road adventures.

This setup underscores Ram’s commitment to delivering a truck that blends efficiency with real-world toughness—traits highly valued in South America, where diesel pickups remain the backbone of the segment.

Built on a Proven Platform – 

Ram Dakota Nightfall 4×4 Concept. (Ram).

Unlike some competitors that have embraced unibody designs for their midsize trucks, the Dakota will remain true to its roots with a body-on-frame (BoF) construction. This approach ensures greater strength and durability, essential for towing, hauling, and off-road use.

The truck shares its underlying architecture with the Fiat Titano, another Stellantis offering built at the Córdoba Assembly Plant in Argentina. By leveraging this platform, Stellantis can maintain competitive costs while tailoring the Dakota to embody the Ram brand’s signature identity.

Exterior Design: A True Ram Face – 

Ram Dakota Nightfall 4×4 Concept. (Ram).

While the Dakota may share bones with the Fiat Titano and Chinese-market Changan Hunter, Ram designers have worked to give it a distinctly Ram look and feel.

At the front, the Dakota features an exclusive hood design and a bold Ram grille with the iconic centered logo. Lighting technology will include double LED projectors for both high and low beams, complemented by vertical auxiliary lamps in the bumper. A skid plate with honeycomb-style mesh finishes off the aggressive, functional front end.

From the side, wider fender flares set the Dakota apart from its platform siblings, providing a more muscular and planted stance. At the rear, the LED taillights will adopt a design reminiscent of the Changan Hunter but tuned for Ram’s premium look. Practicality is also built in, with a gas-spring-assisted tailgate to simplify loading and unloading.

Interior: Raising the Bar in Refinement – 

2025 Changan Hunter Interior. (Changan).

If the exterior design is about toughness, the interior is all about modern refinement. Unlike the Fiat Titano, which leans heavily on the Ram 1200’s design, the Dakota is expected to adopt a cabin more closely aligned with the updated Changan Hunter—but with Ram-exclusive touches.

Key highlights include:

  • A dual-screen setup, with a digital instrument cluster and a dedicated infotainment display.

  • A synthetic material finish across the dashboard for a more upscale appearance.

  • Unique horizontal air vents set the Dakota apart from its platform siblings.

  • A high center console featuring Ram’s signature rotary gear selector, a wireless charging pad, and generous storage under the armrest.

This interior approach positions the Dakota to compete not just on capability, but also on comfort and technology—two areas increasingly important to midsize truck buyers in South America.

Launch Timing and Model Year Strategy – 

Ram Dakota Nightfall 4×4 Concept. (Ram).

Ram has confirmed that the Dakota will debut as a 2027 model year vehicle, skipping a 2026 designation. Production will begin in Argentina in late 2025, with Brazil following in early 2026.

By entering the market as a 2027 model, Ram positions the Dakota to compete directly against established rivals like the Toyota Hilux, Ford Ranger, and Chevrolet S10, all of which dominate the region’s midsize segment.

A Truck for South America, Not the U.S. – 

Ram Dakota Nightfall 4×4 Concept. (Ram).

For Ram fans in North America, it’s important to note that this South American Dakota is not the truck promised for the U.S. and Canadian markets. While the Dakota for Argentina and Brazil builds upon Stellantis’ global partnerships with Fiat and Changan, the upcoming midsize Ram for North America will be an entirely different vehicle, designed specifically to meet the expectations of U.S. and Canadian buyers.

This distinction makes sense, given the very different demands of the two markets.

Thoughts – 

Ram Dakota Nightfall 4×4 Concept. (Ram).

The 2027 Ram Dakota looks to be more than just another badge-engineered midsize pickup. With a proven diesel powertrain, BoF construction, rugged styling, and a technology-focused interior, it’s clear Ram intends the Dakota to be a serious contender in South America’s competitive truck market.

If these details hold true, the Dakota could become a cornerstone product for Ram in the region, appealing to both traditional truck buyers and those seeking a more premium driving experience. While North American customers will have to wait for their own midsize Ram, the South American Dakota is shaping up to be a smart, capable, and stylish addition to Ram’s global lineup.

Robert S. Miller

Robert S. Miller is a diehard Mopar enthusiast who lives and breathes all that is Mopar. The Michigander is not only the Editor for MoparInsiders.com, 5thGenRams.com, and HDRams.com but an automotive photographer. He is an avid fan of offshore powerboat racing, which he travels the country to take part in.

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A 2.2 liter Multi-Jet Diesel and ZF 8-speed, hmmm🤔. Didn't they just change the emissions regulations in the US?

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If Ram and Jeep absolutely and Dodge tangentially are to be global brands there must be some basic differences in product. We see the error of too much uniformity in the North American market in lock step with European thinking and planning. Our brands are now desperately seeking to right that wrong and adopt the market based strategy that this South American Ram follows. The ability to adopt features, engineering and asset sharing from each others development process is a necessary decision, but uniqueness makes these globally essential brands truly global. The realignment of our domestic brands now underway will serve to model for the entire company. Hopefully Dodge, Jeep, Ram and Chrysler have suffered enough ignoring that reality exhibited smartly in Brazil and Argentina initially and that the new direction now starting here will quickly change failure to success. In the meantime success on the global stage for Stellantis will direct more resources to North America, where it is finally being acknowledged, it must drive the company as the cash cow of this global business venture.
No doubt this South American Ram has much to offer, if not engineering or technology, perhaps a lesson in focused product and marketing thinking that reinvents the global structure going forward for Stellantis. If globalism is to succeed it must be driven by North America, and the Europeans must realize that fact, even if North America, for now, is late to the game. Our developing smaller Rams, market appropriate reengineered Jeeps and true muscle car Dodges will soon redefine the North American business model that sadly was misdirected by arrogance and bias. Tweaking the globalism in global is happening at last, and the future of Stellantis may just have been saved. Salvation rests in North America and that’s a fact Jack.

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It's almost like Ram aka Stellantis doesn't want to make profit in the US

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It's truly hard for me to not be a bit upset and almost a little angry When I look at the situation of Stellantis here in North America and watch them fumble play after play after play. All of this big news about the new Durango coming out with no pentastar engine and going all Hemi, yet it can't be sold in a large portion of the country outside of the 5.7L Hemi V8. A completely botched current gen Charger that cost the company major funding by going out EV first and then taking soooo long to come out with an ICE powertrain that alot of people dont really want and the rest of us who are okay with it are basically just settling because the former leadership decided to get rid nearly all V8 powertrains. Granted yes it was costing the company alot of money and tbh maybe Carlos wasn't as wrong as we might have thought he was. I might not have gotten rid of all of the v8 engines the way he did, I probably would have kept the 5.7L but that's just me. On top of all of this we have a Giant, oversized, overpriced Jeep SUV called the Wagoneer that doesn't live up to its name AT ALL! We have a bunch of goofy EVs that are a waste because no one wants them and everything is completely overpriced because this company keeps making costly mistakes and it's pricing the Mopar brands above the market for the people that actually LOVE this brand and want to buy their products. It's time to STOP!!!!!!!!!!!!

You want to truly know something crazy?? Dodge could have brought out the new STLA Large platform like it did and had it be a multi-energy platform like it is and did some slight tweaks to the Charger and the Durango and the brand could have been fine. With the fact that alot of us are now okay with the new Charger's Hurricane platform, it lets me know that we would have been okay if Dodge had simply said the Hemi was done but we're still keeping ICE vehicles around and not going full EV but instead going to hybrids. Taking the 305hp 3.6L from the Challenger GT and attaching it to a Gen-4 ZF 8-speed hybrid transmission and giving it AWD and a few other things would have produced a 573hp horsepower car with 702lb-ft of torque and would have been completely emissions friendly. Don't get me wrong, the 3.6L V6 is not perfect, but it was a tried and true powertrain that worked. Granted I would have wanted to see Stellantis change the head design and get rid of the integrated exhaust manifold so the car would sound better at least, but that as an R/T, a 370hp 2.0L Hybrid GT with 475lb-ft of torque as an AWD hybrid GT and even a base 305hp 3.6L SXT would have been a better move than what we have now. A car like that on the STLA Large platform with an updated front styling that took some cues from the Hornet along with the widebody stance bigger brakes, updated wheels, an interior very similar to the new Charger, no hatchback and upgraded taillamps and the Charger would have been fine. Same thing with the Durango. It would have been a 3-row SUV with those same powertrains. Dropping the Challenger is no great loss because Coupes are a dying breed anyway. From there, just get rid of Chrysler all together because it's literally a dead brand anyway. Jeep Cherokee should have just been a stripped down version of the regular length Grand Cherokee with a regular 3.6L V6. The Grand Cherokee should be the longer of the two with a full range of options. Get rid of the Recon, Get rid of the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer and focus on the Wrangler Unlimited (drop the 2-door) and keep the Gladiator but give it a bigger, better bed. Ram 1500 trucks need one engine, the 5.7L nothing bigger, nothing smaller. Stop building RHOs and TRXs, Ram needs a good farm truck (Bighorn), a hunting/fishing truck(Warlock), a trail truck (Rebel), a work truck (WT), and a daily (Laramie). That's it. Nothing in this lineup should be over $55,000.00 with everytihng included. Direct Connection should be available for the Dodge and Ram vehicles so they can be upgraded.

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