2008 Dodge Dakota Preview Sioux City IA

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What it Is

Dodge Dakota Preview - 2007 Chicago Auto Show: The Dakota is the junior partner in Dodge's truck lineup, dominated by the full-size Ram. It's bigger than compact competitors like the Chevrolet Colorado and Ford Ranger, but is not significantly more expensive, thus offering buyers the option of a larger truck for roughly the same price. It is not a full-size truck by any means, however, undercutting the Ram by several inches in many critical areas. For the 2008 model year, the Dakota gets refreshed styling in the front and rear, a nicer interior, and more powerful V8 engine. The engine upgrade is fine by us; the Dakota has been underpowered from the beginning. But the new styling leaves us cold..

Why it Matters

Dodge was on to something when it first introduced the Dakota more than a decade ago. Since then, the Toyota Tacoma and Nissan Frontier have both upsized to the same class, and even Honda's Ridgeline is in the same size category, more or less. With some actual competition these days, Dodge needs to keep its entry as fresh as it can. The restyle brings it into shape with the rest of the Dodge truck lineup (specifically the Nitro SUV), and the rest of the upgrades give it a distinct advantage, as it's the only truck in its class with a V8 engine.