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The Dodge Dakota, known as the Ram Dakota for the final two years of production, is a mid-size pickup truck from Chrysler's Ram (formerly Dodge Truck) division. From its introduction through 2009, it was marketed by Dodge. The first Dakota was introduced in 1986 as a 1987 model alongside the redesigned Dodge Ram 50. The Dakota was nominated for the North American Truck of the Year award for 2000. The Dakota has always been sized above the compact Ford Ranger and Chevrolet S-10, but below the full-sized pickups such as Dodge's own Ram. It is a conventional design with body-on-frame construction and a leaf spring/live axle rear end. The Dakota is the first mid-size pickup with an optional V8 engine. One notable feature was the Dakota's rack and pinion steering, a first for work trucks. Dakotas have been used by police and fire departments, as off-road vehicles, patrol trucks, or even brush trucks. ==First generation (1987–1996)== The Dodge Dakota was developed by Chrysler as a mid-sized pickup. To keep investment low, many components were shared with existing Chrysler products and the manufacturing plant was shared with the full-sized Dodge D-Model. The name Dakota means "friend" or "ally" in the Sioux language, though it could have also referred to the Dakotas, North Dakota and South Dakota. The first generation of the Dakota was produced from 1987 through 1996. It was slightly updated for the 1991 model year. Inline-four and V6 engines were offered along with either a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission. Four-wheel drive was available only with the V6. Both six- and eight-foot beds were offered. Fuel injection was added to the 3.9 L V6 for 1988, but the output remained the same. In 1988, the Sport package was added as a mid-year release. Exterior colors came in Black, Bright White, and Graphic Red. Available in both 2WD and 4x4, the Sport included: * AM/FM stereo radio with cassette player * Carpeted logo floor mats * Center armrest bench seat * Charcoal/silver deluxe cloth interior with fold-down arm rest * Color-keyed leather-wrapped sport steering wheel * Deluxe wipers * Dual remote control outside mirrors * Floor Carpet * Gauge Package * Mopar air dam with Bosch fog lamps * Mopar light bar with Bosch off-road lamps (4x4 only) * Unique bodyside tape stripes * Euro-style black out grille and bumpers * Sliding rear window * 3.9 liter V6 engine * 15" aluminum wheels The N-body platform was the result of operational efforts by Harold K. Sperlich, who was in charge of Chrysler's Product Planning in the early 1980s, in which Japanese-inspired compact pickups of the time lacked the size and features necessary to meet the demands of American buyers. In the late-1970s, Chrysler was still recovering from their near-bankruptcy and resources were in short supply. Sperlich challenged the N-Body team to search for all opportunities to reuse existing components to create the Dakota. The resulting highly investment-efficient program enabled Chrysler to create an all-new market segment at low cost. Key individuals involved in making this product a reality included Glenn Gardner, Glen House, Robert Burnham, Don Sebert, Jim Hackstedde, and Clark Ewing. The basic Dakota vehicle was ultimately used as a foundation to create the Dakota extended cab version and the Dodge Durango SUV. Additional options found in first-generation trucks: * Lowered suspension * 15-inch chrome rims * Chrome bars along the bed * AM/FM stereo with cassette, and (optional) CD player * Leather seats * Sunroof * Sliding rear window * Chrome bumpers * V8 engine * Infinity sound system (Some of these are found on those with the additional R/T package) In 1989, the unusual Dakota convertible was rolled out. The first American convertible pickup since the Ford Model A, it featured a fixed roll bar and a simple manual top. Roughly 2,482 were sold that first year. Another important addition that year was Carroll Shelby's V8-powered Shelby Dakota, his first rear-wheel drive vehicle in two decades. An extended "Club Cab" model was added for 1990, still with two doors. This model allowed the Dakota to boast capacity for six passengers, though the rear seat was best suited for cargo, children, and shorter adults. In 1991, the front of the Dakota received a new grille and hood which extended the engine compartment to better fit the optional 5.2 L V8, which was inspired by the earlier Shelby Dakota V8 option. By 1992, the standard square sealed-beam glass headlamps were phased out for the aerodynamic-style molded plastic headlamps attached to the grill components. It was equipped with halogen lights, making 1991 the only year for a unique front-end for the Dakota, though it is mechanically possible to fit sealed beams on 1992 to 1996 model years, as this model year was an overlap between new grille introduction and new headlamp introduction. Also debuting in 1991 were six-bolt wheels (replacing the earlier five-bolt wheels) based on Dodge's marketing attempting to differentiate the Dakota from competing manufacturers' trucks and the upcoming introduction of the redesigned Ram, and 1991 was also the first year for an optional driver-side airbag (made standard in 1994) and the last year for the Dakota convertible. To fulfill the Dodge division's commitment to the American Sunroof Company (which was responsible for the modifications to these trucks), production of the "drop top" Dakota was extended into the 1991 model year. Production was extremely limited, with just eight produced in total, making them the most rare of all Dakotas. Unlike the previous years, colors and options varied more than before, as the manufacturer picked each of these trucks in a somewhat random fashion. No advertising was given to these trucks, and they do not appear in sales literature. This is most likely because the majority of them were sold before getting to their dealer lots. Both of the V-configuration engines were updated to Magnum specs the next year, providing a tremendous power boost. Along with the introduction of the Magnum engine came multiport electronic fuel injection (EFI). The EFI computer (called a PCM by Chrysler) was partially responsible for the improved performance. The new engine/computer combination produced about The 1994 model year had a few minor changes, with the most notable being the addition of a driver's-side airbag, located in a new, two-spoke design steering wheel (also found in the Ram). Other changes included the discontinuation of the "SE" and "LE" trims. In following with the all-new Ram full-sized pickups, the top-end trim was renamed to "SLT", with these models (along with select others) wearing the new chrome finished, styled six-bolt steel wheels styled similar to the five-bolt type found on the larger Ram. Other changes included revisions to color and overall trim options. SRS airbags were also added for 1994. A CD player became optional, as did a combination cassette player and CD player unit. Leather seats were also available on LE models. New alloy wheels were available. In 1996, the first generation's final year, the base K-based 2.5 L SOHC I4 engine option was out of production and had been considered vastly underpowered compared to the competition, so Dodge replaced it with another 2.5 L I4 engine; this being of American Motors heritage with an OHV valvetrain and rated at . This was the only major change for 1996, and the AMC 2.5 L would also be carried over as the base engine in the new, larger 1997 model. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Dodge Dakota」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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