Awesome. ChrysFiat should build it. The truck market really NEEDS some innovation rather than just getting bigger and boxier.

new dodge Dakota? or it new baby brother like to see what the dodge version will look like and if it is the new Dakota it will need a longer bed and optional crew cab or at least one that is bigger

It just needs a real roof/greenhouse to be production ready....otherwise,leave it as is.However,with Subaru Baja now gone,this one may suffer the same fate in the marketplace,and the Ridgeline is no chart burner either.

i normally dont like trucks this..but if they bring the diesel and have dif bed/cab options (bigger/longer) then id consider one...plus this would be great for marketing

Not BAD, Looks better than the Ridgeline...Make them with CrewCabs and longer bed. Diesel is great and a 6 or 7 speed Auto or manual??

Gotta know what designers think is going in the beds they draw. The drawings may work on the car crowd but the first thing someone actually needing a vehicle that will also haul things in will be the bed size - as has been mentioned. It just looses too much of the potential market. The rest of the design and specs has some promise.

Good on ya mate,

To see something like this from a student compared to what EXPERTS at Chrysler come up with for trucks is amazing. They should fire their designers and bring in a bunch of new graduates.

5000 lbs towing cap. and 1800 lbs of payload is not too shabby for a small truck. Of course the deisel would never likely make it to the US anyway. Design wise, i'd say it's similar to the GMC Denali XT.

http://www.pickuptrucks.com/html/autoshows/chicago2008/gmc/denalixt/page1.html

I like this truck, but the closest it will ever get to the US will likely be Mexico, where Fiat has a greater presence.

I bet the sound that come out of the exhaust pipes sounds like this "wop, wop, wop...." lol

Well with an 1800 lb payload this must be at least a mid size truck. I thought it would be smaller like that Pontiac UTE that was supposed to come out before the demise of Pontiac....

I like it. But like said before what is up with that light bar thing on the roof?

what a POS.

I like the design a lot, but can we add two doors in it. Will it goes offroad? That's the big questions I have about it.

Aint that the Mitsubishi Evo front?

Looks like it would meet the ever increasing demands for uselessness. I will keep my Silverado. There are good trucks available right now. I would prefer the Dakota to remain body on frame, and be a workhorse.

this is a real sweet truck they should put them in production a. s. a. p

awesomeee...... I follow your blog for quite a long time and should tell that your articles always prove to be of a high value and quality for readers.

Build it this is what is needed in the sport truck market. Dodge came out in 1999 witha power wagon concept . trucks lie this will be a hit in the limited run field. Just look at the plymouth prowler. ahead of it's time.

awesome car. It's shame that will not be produced as usuall

Looks like something that belongs on Transformers...before the transformation!!

unibodys have taked the suvs away from us stay the hell away from the trucks if you haul 1800lbs over anything other than pavement with that it will break in half not to mention bottom out. going to unibody for gas millage is BS. i have a 2001 chevy tracker full frame i get 28mpg way over epa but standard shift tends to do that and if you want a front wheel drive with an evo front buy an evin evo.

Im not against change if fiat wants to replace the dakota with anything why not somthing like the tata xenon. i would like to keep the dakota line with the v6 cummins they proposed i wont buy one now but a diesel would give it gas millage it so desperatly needs. im anctiously awaiting the mahindra arival but after continuous bad luck with automatics and continuous amazement of how rucked standards are.im not going to buy another vehicle with out a stick shift.

I like it.

Dakota was the first mid-sized, now everyone has gone from compact to mid-sized and dropped the reg cab versions. If this replaces the Dakota, they can drop back to a slightly smaller truck, which will fill gap being vacated by the Ranger and Canyon/Colorado. The smaller truck would also create less canibalism of Ram sales.

For Dodge, they would need to move the back of cab forward to get a 6 to 6.5 ft box (something in NA market says must be able to carry 4 x 8 plywood).

A 4 banger from Fiat should be able to bring in 160 hp and 30+ mpg.

Would like to see option of soft suspension and upgraded interior (for car lovers - a la el Camino and Ranchero) or wt type stiffer suspension and plain interior.

FWD or AWD should be the choices.

sexy baby

sexy

put them looks into a regular dodge pickup as it already looks like one anyway and you have the new ram for the next 8 years period. it would sell just like the 94 ram came out years ago

It is back to the drawing board with this thing!

This design has huge potential!!!!! Really hopeng the Dodge lifestyle truck will have:

- a fold flat midgate and rear seats.
- A headache bar just like that.. real tight ont he roof corner
- rear window that completely rolls down
- A reinforced frame like unibody.. siince it will be unibody
-RWD Hydraulic Hybrid Assist to work with FWD motor, since it will be FWD on highway.

Really looking forward to this and think it's going to be a huge success.

But rather the side storage, hoping the bed is higher and that there is an under bed lockable truck storage.

This is an old post.. I love this design. But imagine if the cargo area was framed with a large rear window that rolls into the roof and the rear seats where way back and reclined all the way back. That would be an awsome design.
Google "Open Cargo Coupe" to see the design.

http://www.cyberpine.com/electric-hatchback-sports-trucklet.htm

I keep coming back to this design.. It's freakin brilliant. Only think i would ask is that rear window roll completely down and that back seats recline.