New Dakota to be built on Gladiator assembly line?

[BourbonRunner]

@Jrgunn5150--

What would the Rampage be badge engineered to/with? The upcoming Cherokee hopefully? Ford does that with the Bronco Sport/Escape/Maverick so I don't think it's a stretch for FCA to do it, too.

Given Maverick and Santa Fe sales (and throw the Ridgeline in there, too) there is a massive, untapped market for small truck-like utility vehicles with car-like manners that gets decent MPG commuting all week and be a weekend warrior for Home Depot and dump runs.

The fact that Dodge/Jeep, GM, and even Toyota haven't capitalized on that to me is lunacy.

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[Jrgunn5150]

@Jrgunn5150--

What would the Rampage be badge engineered to/with? The upcoming Cherokee hopefully? Ford does that with the Bronco Sport/Escape/Maverick so I don't think it's a stretch for FCA to do it, too.

Everything outside the Jeep and HD trucks moving forward is STLA.

So you can kind of look through the STLA platforms, and imagine what they can do with them.

J4U and STLA Medium is pretty versatile

 

[BourbonRunner]

Everything outside the Jeep and HD trucks moving forward is STLA.

So you can kind of look through the STLA platforms, and imagine what they can do with them.

J4U and STLA Medium is pretty versatile

Oh, I agree. I was somewhat speculating that there could easily be a Rampage/Cherokee since that platform already underpins a lot of STLA vehicles.

Hell, it wouldn't be too hard for them to bring that and the Commander to the USDM, build them side by side at Belvidere and call it a Cherokee.

Same goes with a JT/Dakota. The Dakota can run from work trucks to luxury while the Jeep is still a Jeep. If anything I think an upcoming Dakota gives the JT a longer lease on life.

 

[PBCounty]

Well I'm certainly not encouraging front wheel drive unibody "trucks" but whatever....

 

[BourbonRunner]

Well I'm certainly not encouraging front wheel drive unibody "trucks" but whatever....

I don't think they're "trucks" in the traditional sense but the market has spoken.

YTD (Jan-Nov)

The Ranger sold 41K.

The Tacoma sold 170K.

The Gladiator sold 20K.

The GM twins sold 98K combined.

The Frontier sold 56K.

Meanwhile, the unibody "trucks:"

The Maverick sold 96K

The Santa Cruz sold 30K

The Ridgeline sold 41K.

There is most certainly a market for unibody vehicles that resemble pickup trucks but drive like cars and Ford owns this segment outright.

If STLA doesn't get into that, they're leaving TONS of money on the table. They already have the damned thing designed. Get it federalized and get Belvidere up and running ASAP.

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