2028 RAM DAKOTA midsize pickup confirmed for US / North America

[superj]

I would take the 2.0. Thats a great engine

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[Administrator]

Report: Dealers Impressed By Sneak Peek of 2028 Ram Dakota’s “Aggressive Styling” at 2026 NADA Show

 

[Administrator]

Video Interview: Dealer Describes 2028 Ram Dakota Reveal – “Toyota [Tacoma] Better Be Careful”

 

[Ron Quixote]

More quality competition is always good.

 

[cc1999]

A little more Dakota news came out today.
‘I really more then ever think a v8 option is going to be offered in the new Dakota.

 

[av8r]

still a dodge. No thank you.

 

[Daweism]

https://tfltruck.com/2026/05/news-r...he-most-powerful-pickup-truck-in-the-segment/

Ram announces their upcoming “FastLane 2030” business plan for the United States and North America. The upcoming 2028 Ram Dakota is a big part of it, and we now have new details. Ram says they are planning a high-performance Dakota SRT model. Stellantis showed many of these pre-production vehicles to financial and industry analysts. No cameras were allowed into this meeting. Here is what we know so far. Let’s dig in!

The new Ram Dakota midsize pickup truck will begin production in North America on a shared platform. We expect the Dakota to share its platform with the upcoming refreshed Jeep Gladiator. The Dakota production will begin in 2028.

Ram says the upcoming Dakota will be “the most powerful mid-size truck” as they anticipate. This is very interesting. Currently, the most powerful and fun midsize truck is the Ford Ranger Raptor. It comes with a twin-turbo V6 405 horsepower engine. The new Ram Dakota SRT should offer more power than this. The rumor of the Jeep Gladiator V8 392 is very real. The Jeep Wrangler 392 V8 has been on sale for some time. It’s possible that a Ram Dakota 392 is coming as well. It means that it will have at least 470 horsepower, and likely more power than that.

There is a report that the new Dakota will be about the same length as the competitor Toyota Tacoma, Chevy Colorado, or Ford Ranger. However, they say it will be a little wider. It will have a bit more elbow room on the inside than most midsize pickup trucks.

You might be thinking… The Rivian R1T is also a midsize pickup truck, and it offers over 1,000 horsepower. This is true, but we are putting the all-electric pickup trucks into a separate segment.




https://www.caranddriver.com/ram/dakota-srt

By Joey Capparella
Overview
Mid-size truck fans are already excited about the return of the Dakota nameplate, and now we know that Ram is cooking up an SRT performance version of this new mid-size pickup. This model will go head-to-head with the Ford Ranger Raptor and should bring some of the full-size Ram TRX's badassery down to a more manageable size. We expect extra horsepower, a lifted off-road-ready suspension, knobby tires, and an aggressive appearance.

There's no official word yet on what will power the Dakota SRT, but the "Hurricane" twin-turbo inline-six found in other Ram pickups is a likely candidate. It could easily produce 500 horsepower, which would give the 405-hp Ranger Raptor a serious headache. Four-wheel drive will surely be standard, and the Dakota's body-on-frame construction, likely reinforced further, should make it a strong contender in the dirt.

Expert Tip: If you don't want to wait more than a year for a high-performance Ram and can afford a larger pickup, check out the revived Ram 1500 SRT TRX that returns to showrooms for 2027.

What's New for 2028?
The Dakota is a new model for Ram, and although it revives an older nameplate from a previous Dodge mid-size pickup, there has never been a high-po SRT model until now.

 

[Daweism]

still a dodge. No thank you.

You got it backwards brother, by all means thank them, thank them a lot. This will force Ford to make the next gen Ranger Raptor comparable or better and possible force them to pump out a Ranger Raptor R with a V8. This is excellent. No Raptor R without the Ram TRX.

 

[av8r]

You got it backwards brother, by all means thank them, thank them a lot. This will force Ford to make the next gen Ranger Raptor comparable or better and possible force them to pump out a Ranger Raptor R with a V8. This is excellent. No Raptor R without the Ram TRX.

If Ford puts a Coyote engine in the baby raptor I will be first in line to sell my 25 and buy the new one.

 

[Daweism]

If Ford puts a Coyote engine in the baby raptor I will be first in line to sell my 25 and buy the new one.

Get behind me sir, I was here first.

 

[cc1999]

You got it backwards brother, by all means thank them, thank them a lot. This will force Ford to make the next gen Ranger Raptor comparable or better and possible force them to pump out a Ranger Raptor R with a V8. This is excellent. No Raptor R without the Ram TRX.

100% agreed.

Not really being a loyalist to any truck brand, I have 0 issue owning a RAM or GM or pretty much any brand. Most important to me is that I like the actual product I will consider buying it.

I currently have 3 Ford and 3 Ram trucks in my personal stable. If the Dakota ends up with a V8 option and looks good,

 

[25BlackRaptor]

My wife is gonna kill me . If its a v8 mid-size truck, im in!!!

 

[Daweism]

My wife is gonna kill me . If its a v8 mid-size truck, im in!!!

Get it in black and hope she doesn't notice

 

[Administrator]

2028 Ram Dakota SRT Will be Most Powerful Midsize Pickup - at least 470 HP



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[Slyder]

If a 392 Dakota SRT does happen, I will be watching that very carefully.

I love my Ranger Raptor, but if it does come with 392 and it's price comes in below what the combined price of the 7.3L swap and what I paid for my Raptor, I may take the plunge.

I've owned 2 V-8 Dakotas in the past, but both were retired early due to hit-n-runs totaling them.

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