Ram's Midsize Dakota Truck Will Be Built Alongside The Jeep Gladiator
Ram’s long-awaited midsize pickup — likely the revived Dakota — is finally taking shape for the U.S. market with the automaker revealing key details this week.
Key Points
- Ram confirmed plans to re-enter the mid-size pickup segment for the first time since the Dakota’s discontinuation in 2011, with production set to begin in 2028 at the Toledo, Ohio plant.
- Sharing production with the Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator suggests the new truck will feature a traditional body-on-frame platform, targeting core rivals like the Toyota Tacoma, Ford Ranger, and Chevrolet Colorado.
- The new pickup is part of Stellantis’ largest-ever U.S. manufacturing investment, which also includes new Jeep and Dodge models as CEO Antonio Filosa works to refocus the company on performance, profit, and American manufacturing strength.
Ok, fine, Stellantis hasn’t officially confirmed the Dakota name, but this week, Stellantis hinted the midsize Ram truck will definitely be built in America—and it may share hardware with Jeep’s Gladiator. The new truck will officially begin production in 2028 as part of Stellantis’ record-setting $13 billion U.S. manufacturing investment plan.
The new truck will be built in Toledo, Ohio, alongside the Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator. That decision confirms a body-on-frame construction, putting Ram’s new midsize directly in the ring with heavy hitters like the Toyota Tacoma, Ford Ranger, and Chevrolet Colorado.
We already knew Ram was planning a ladder frame truck—with rumors suggesting the new truck would ride on a version of Stellantis’ STLA Frame, the same platform that will underpin the Ram 1500 Ramcharger.
Now that's still entirely possible, I don't think anyone is reasonably expecting the Dakota to ride on the JL-derived Gladiator platform. Of course, this could point to the eventual migration of the Wrangler and Gladiator onto the STLA Frame platform, by the time the Dakota enters production in 2028, the JL Wrangler will be a decade old. All of this is mere speculation at this point.
Stellantis had originally planned to build the truck at its shuttered Belvidere, Illinois, facility, but that plant will instead reopen in 2027 to produce the next-generation Jeep Cherokee and Compass.
“This investment in the U.S.—the single largest in the company’s history—will drive our growth, strengthen our manufacturing footprint, and bring more American jobs to the states we call home,” said Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa. “We’re expanding our vehicle offerings and giving customers the freedom to choose the products they want and love.”
The massive investment also includes new SUV programs in Michigan and Detroit, including a large range-extended hybrid SUV and the next-generation Dodge Durango, due in 2029.
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An experienced automotive storyteller and accomplished photographer known for engaging and insightful content. Michael also brings a wealth of technical knowledge—he was part of the Ford GT program at Multimatic, oversaw a fleet of Audi TCR race cars, ziptied Lamborghini Super Trofeo cars back together, been over the wall during the Rolex 24, and worked in the intense world of IndyCar.
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“We’re expanding our vehicle offerings and giving customers the freedom to choose the products they want and love.” So, then I can go in and order a base Wrangler adding only a Rubicon suspension, drive train and standard gauges (no stinkin' screens!) without all the other crap? I doubt it.