In an interview with journalists at the Detroit auto show yesterday, Chrysler chief Sergio Marchionne confirmed plans for a new Dakota pickup. He also noted that there's a "better than 50 percent chance" that it will be a unibody truck.
If you consider that bad news, maybe this will cheer you up: Marchionne also said that diesel power is a likely option. With a diesel engine now confirmed for the Grand Cherokee, Marchionne said it only makes sense for the company to spread out the cost over multiple models. Thankfully, that's expected to include the Wrangler as well.
bankerdanny says:
07:30 AM, 01/10/12
I don't see why this should be a problem. Unit body based trucks can have a perfectly acceptable towing and cargo capacity ratings, and the unit body structure should make for a much better riding vehicle. If you need body on frame buy a Ram.
altimadude05 says:
07:54 AM, 01/10/12
Palm meet forehead. Repeat as needed.
rsholland says:
08:19 AM, 01/10/12
Bankerdanny, I couldn't agree more. Owners of (unibody) Ridgelines love their trucks. A unibody—well actually a traditional-frame-welded-to-a-unibody, as per the Ridgeline, Grand Cherokee, etc.—is the way to go in light of the tough upcoming fuel regulations. Make perfect sense for a midsize truck. I could even see it happening in 1/2-tons as well at some point; but not so for heavy-duty pickups.
blackdynamite1 says:
08:33 AM, 01/10/12
Make the Rampage concept already.
And call it Rampage!
That was a winner. Dakota is a loser.....
BD
blueprint1 says:
09:32 AM, 01/10/12
The Rampage name fits, and it has history (just google-up the Dodge Charger 024-based Rampage). The minivan-based concept from a couple years ago makes perfect sense with a diesel. You don't need a ladder frame to carry a lawn mower and shovels.
csubowtie says:
11:43 AM, 01/10/12
Glad to hear the Dakota is coming back, and with likely Diesel power!
The first concern I would have with a unibody pick-up would be what happens when you damage the bed? If you were to drop something heavy on a bed side, would that then affect the towing capability? I know it would make it much more expensive/almost impossible to just replace a bed. And it would eliminate the possibility of any kind of altered boxes, such as a referigerated box (food delivery), flat-bed, or Utility bed.
Some people forget that there is a difference between a Honda Ridgeline owner and somebody who actually needs a small truck. A lot of these small trucks see very hard lives as commercial/government vehicles, and the working end of these see some serious abuse.
dinobot666 says:
01:30 PM, 01/10/12
My old Comanche was a pretty decent unibody truck. It has proper solid axles and everything. Good news about the diesel powerplants, hopefully this will prompt other companies to start offering diesel engines in light duty applications.
A diesel Tacoma would suit my needs perfectly.
bonzjr says:
02:16 PM, 01/10/12
Honda sold 9,759 Ridgelines in 2011. That's not one month. That's all 12 months. The intro year (2006) was the best where they barely topped 50,000. And Dakota sales weren't much to write home about either.
It might be an interesting niche. And as an enthusiast who can embrace pretty much anything I applaud niche vehicles. But they should be left to companies that know how to consistently (key word) make money. Chrysler (and FIAT for that matter -- it wasn't that long ago they were facing a crisis themselves) are not 'there' yet.
Beyond that, unibody mid-sizers with beefy structural enhancements welded to them for additional strength typically end up no lighter than regular body-on-frame things. So I don't know why people always see that as a solution. Has anyone ever compared weights? Or looked at real world mileage? Automakers are always saying things that don't match reality and people just repeat them. Ford did it when the replaced the full-frame Explorer with the unibody. Only then people put the new Explorer on the scales and realized it was as portly as the old one. It's no roomier (less so in a few dimensions). And it's also not really more efficient (only if you cheat and compare the new V6 with the old V8 and ignore the drop off in torque). Had you just put the newer more advanced V6 powertrain in the old Explorer I bet you'd have achieved similar results in efficiency terms. It was the engine and transmission that made the difference -- not the chassis.
A Ridgeline weighs about 4500 lbs (per Honda's website). A Tacoma Double Cab 4x4 V6 auto -- the most comparable and second-heaviest variant -- weighs 4155 lbs (per Toyota's website). The last weight I can find for a (now gone) V8 Dakota Double Cab (from Motor Trend) was about 4700 lbs. Take away 150 lbs for the downgrade to a V6 and you have 4550 lbs or so. So how is the Ridgeline lighter? And it can't tow or haul what the other two can (lagging by 1400-2000 lbs). Oh and mileage? 15/21 Ridgeline versus 16/21 for the aforementioned Toyota. The Dodge checked in at 14/19 but that was with a 302-hp V8. Close enough.
The Honda is a somewhat-innovative more carlike solution for people that -- as mentioned -- rarely need a real truck and are used to driving things like Accords and Fusions. But it's such a narrow niche and it really doesn't achieve anything that a regular pickup can't do if you sink a little money into engines, aerodynamics and maybe rear suspensions (like the coil-sprung rear on the Ram 1500).
I guess I just don't see the argument to make it a unibody unless it is a quick, cheap, easy-to-do variant of something that you already sell xxx,000 of a year. What does Chrysler have that they can say that about?
moparbad says:
04:08 PM, 01/10/12
FIAT Strada (like the old Rampage) obtains 30 mpg plus combined mpg with gasoline engine.
VW Saviero (like the old Rampage) obtains nearly 40 mpg combined with a diesel.
Unibody light truck like vehicles that are basically a car with a bed can serve a purpose for light delivery and for urban homeowner that does not need to tow.
For those who need a full size truck there is no replacing it.
There is a narrow market for very light duty unibody trucks, probably less than 100k right now and it will increase as fuel prices and cafe numbers increase. Chevrolet, FIAT, VW, and others already make this type of vehicle so one of them could import them as needed from a non-tariff assembly location.
As to the Ridgeline, it is very nice vehicle that is ugly as heck and delivers the same fuel economy as full size. Some great features though and it handles great.
gregbird says:
07:25 PM, 01/10/12
I have been wondering why no one else has tried a uni-body truck. I mean, they did so well with the Durango and Grand Cherokee, I say give it a shot. It makes perfect sense to me. There is still a market for smaller trucks, but makers don't want them eating into sales of the full-sizes.
I'm part of that market. I like the Ram 1500, but I don't need anything that big. I've never been a fan of the current smaller trucks because the once-in-a-while use of the bed wouldn't make up for the cramped and uncomfortable interiors. I think if it is like a long Durango with a bed instead of a third row, I would buy it.
firstwagon says:
09:27 PM, 01/10/12
"Make the Rampage concept already.
And call it Rampage!
That was a winner. Dakota is a loser.....
BD"
The Dakota was a great truck for the first 2 generations. Blame MB for dumbing down the last versions. The Rampage will always be an Omni with a pick up bed stuck on.
As for unibody pick ups... Why? Lightness?...LOL check out what the current Grand Cherokee weighs.
The only reason is a quick and easy job using an existing car platform.
Much better to use the Wrangler platform and build a true pick up. Why do a half assed job?
csubowtie says:
11:38 AM, 01/11/12
And let's not forget the other raging success of a current uni-body "truck" in the US, the Subaru Baja. And that one actually comes with at least a little bit of off-road cred, and otherwise excellent reliability, drivability, handling, etc.
gregbird says:
05:19 PM, 01/11/12
I'll agree that I am not a fan of previous unibody truck trys, but the Ridgeline and Baja both brought attention to the fact that they were built from a car/crossover chassis. I think if they keep the same mindset they did with the Durango/Grand Cherokee and make a TRUCK that just happens to have a unibody chassis they make succeed.
dbugguy says:
10:38 AM, 01/13/12
Having owned a Dodge Rampage (and a 2nd generation Dakota) - trucks should be niether FWD or Unibody based! Honda can not sell the Ridgeline, how does Chrysler expect to sell a new Rampage? If Chrysler must make it unibody, please use the RWD based GC/Durango platform, not the FWD minivan platform or Jounery platform.