What is the name of the small Dodge truck?
The Dodge Dakota is the small Dodge pickup you’re likely thinking of. It was Dodge’s mid-size truck, produced from 1987 to 2011, positioned between the compact offerings of Dodge’s earlier line and the full-size Ram trucks that followed.
Background on Dodge’s small-pickup lineup
There have been several Dodge pickups marketed as smaller than the full-size Ram, including badge-engineered compact models from the brand’s earlier era. The following snapshot highlights the best-known examples that are often considered Dodge’s “small” trucks.
- Dodge D-50 — a compact pickup badge used in North America during the late 1970s and early 1980s, built on a Mitsubishi platform and sold under the Dodge name.
- Dodge Ram 50 — the North American version of the Mitsubishi Mighty Max, marketed during the 1980s into the early 1990s as a smaller Dodge pickup.
- Dodge Dakota — Dodge’s mid-size pickup, produced from 1987 to 2011, serving as the brand’s principal smaller truck during its era.
These models illustrate Dodge’s approach to offering smaller pickups before the Dakota became the primary mid-size option and, later, before the Ram brand took over the truck lineup.
Current status and context
As of today, there is no active Dodge-branded small truck. The Dodge brand focuses on cars and crossovers, while the Ram Truck division handles the pickup lineup. The Dakota was discontinued after the 2011 model year, and no direct Dodge-branded replacement has been introduced since then.
Summary
The name most commonly associated with Dodge’s small truck is the Dakota, a mid-size pickup produced from 1987 to 2011. Earlier compact pickups carried the Dodge badge as the D-50 and Ram 50. Today, Dodge does not offer a dedicated small truck, with Ram Trucks carrying the brand’s remaining pickup lineup.
