Ram has already righted a wrong by putting the Hemi V-8 back in the 1500. It’s a great first step for many diehard Ram fans, but the lineup still lacks a mid-size option that can compete with the Toyota Tacoma, Ford Ranger, and Chevrolet Colorado.
Don’t worry, though, Ram’s mid-sizer is officially on the way, and it should launch sometime in 2027. Although we don’t know what it looks like yet, this new concept revealed in Brazil could preview what kind of truck we’ll get in America—especially if the name is any indication.
It’s called the Ram Dakota Nightfall concept, and it precedes the launch of a new Dakota in Brazil and other South American markets in 2026. Ram doesn’t offer many details about the pickup, although it appears like it could be a rival to the Tacoma Trailhunter, Ranger Raptor, and Colorado ZR2.
It features 33-inch off-road tires, 18-inch beadlock wheels, a Fox off-road suspension, a winch, a front tow hook, and front underbody protection painted in bronze. Adding to its rugged appearance are black fenders and a spare tire carrier in the bed with auxiliary lights. It looks cool, but it also reduces reward visibility, but who cares about that?
The Dakota concept fits Ram’s current design aesthetic. It has a trapezoidal grille with RAM imprinted in the center. A thin LED bar frames the top of the grille, connecting the LED headlights. The hood intake features three orange LEDs, borrowing a styling cue from Ram’s high-performance pickups, such as the 1500 RHO and the TRX.
Ram says the new Dakota will launch next year in Brazil and other South American markets and will be built at its truck hub in Córdoba, Argentina. This is where Stellantis builds the body-on-frame-based Fiat Titano, which is related to the Chinese Changan F70, and there’s a good chance this new Dakota is Ram’s version of that truck.
America’s Mid-Size Ram
The Dakota that Ram will launch in South America is likely not the mid-size truck the brand will eventually sell in the United States. Ram has already confirmed that it’ll launch a proper mid-sizer in 2027, and details remain scarce.
Ram’s American offering is reportedly based on a body-on-frame platform, possibly the STLA Frame architecture. We still don’t know what Ram will call it, but the Dakota name is just too good to leave in the dustbin of history. It’ll likely resemble Ram’s South American Dakota, as there are only so many ways to style a pickup that fits the brand, and if that’s the case, it will certainly look the part.
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Source: Ram