Ram Unveils Dakota Nightfall Concept, Hints at U.S. Comeback originally appeared on Autoblog.
And It's Not Too Far Off The Real Deal
The Dakota is back—but only in Brazil. This week Stellantis unveiled the Ram Dakota Nightfall concept in São Paulo, previewing a new smaller model from the truck brand that's scheduled to reach the Brazilian market in 2026. Ram previously confirmed a new midsize pickup for the United States in 2027 that's widely expected to use the Dakota name as well.
Brazil isn't exactly an analog for the U.S. market, but the Nightfall concept at least gives us an idea about how Ram plans to apply its current styling to a smaller truck. And while it's billed as a concept truck, it doesn't seem too far off from the future production version.
Looks Like A Ram
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A four-door crew cab, the concept has a large grille that ties it to other Ram models, but modernizes the look with a stacked lighting arrangement of vertical and horizontal elements, something that's quite popular in design studios across the industry. The hood scoop looks the ones on the Ram 1500 TRX and RHO, and even as a trio of clearance lights, although this truck is likely too small for them to be legally required in the U.S.
Prominent, boxy fender flares also follow current styling trends (look at a Chevrolet Colorado or GMC Canyon for comparison), and the Nightfall is decked out with a roll bar (press materials call it the Rambar) with lights, 18-inch beadlock wheels with 33-inch tires and Fox shocks. These seem like the makings of a dedicated off-road model, perhaps keeping the Nightfall name, that could be sold alongside more basic versions of the truck.
Stellantis didn't provide any specs, but we wouldn't be surprised if the eventual production Dakota used the automaker's STLA Frame architecture, one of four that will underpin all of the automaker's upcoming vehicles, and the only body-on-frame one. STLA Frame is designed to accommodate gasoline, plug-in hybrid, and all-electric powertrains, but Ram has cooled on the latter, pushing back the launches of its all-electric 1500 REV and range-extended 1500 Ramcharger models.
Familiar Name Returns
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Even if it isn't destined for the U.S., the Dakota Nightfall provides a strong hint that years of rumors that Ram would return to the midsize truck market with a model reviving the Dakota name might be correct. The last Dakota was briefly sold as a Ram from the 2010 model year, when the Ram brand was split off from Dodge, to the 2011 model year. But it was an aged design and an afterthought for the newly-independent truck brand. Ram didn't even bother to take the Dodge badges off.
Still, thanks to three generations of production under the Dodge brand, the name Dakota is as synonymous with trucks as Ranger or Tacoma, and thus the obvious choice for a new Ram midsize model. That model was promised by Stellantis in its 2023 contract with the United Auto Workers (UAW) union, and reconfirmed for a 2027 launch earlier this year. It will be built at the Belvidere, Illinois, assembly plant that previously handled Jeep Cherokee production.
Ram Unveils Dakota Nightfall Concept, Hints at U.S. Comeback first appeared on Autoblog on Aug 15, 2025
This story was originally reported by Autoblog on Aug 15, 2025, where it first appeared.
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