FCA 'working hard' to launch midsize pickup

CEO Mike Manley is not willing to say if the company is planning to resurrect the Dakota nameplate.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is apparently hoping to not be left out as its Detroit rivals reignite the once-ignored midsize pickup segment.

The company retired the Dodge Dakota nearly a decade ago as Ford dropped the Ranger from its US lineup. Other companies such as GM and Toyota have since been rewarded for continuing to offer smaller pickups to American buyers, inspiring pickup king Ford to bring the Ranger back home.

"The only vehicle missing in our portfolio is ... midsize pickups in the US," FCA chief Mike Manley said during an analyst conference call. "I'm working hard with the team to try and solve that."

The statement followed a question about potential plans to revive the Dodge Dakota, though Manley declined to identify a model name for a new midsize offering.

Previous reports suggest the Dakota's successor will be built alongside the Gladiator and arrive on the market by 2022, the same year the company hopes to reach a milestone of one million Ram sales.