2000 Dodge Dakota Quad Cab

2000 Dodge Dakota Quad Cab

DETROIT - When it comes to corporate decision-making on new truck variants, the motto in Detroit is, "When in doubt, add doors.'' The "more-doors-the-merrier'' theory was first voiced during a press conference at last year's Detroit show by Jac Nasser of Ford-ironically the same company who was last to the four-door minivan party with the Windstar.

The idea is nothing new to truck buyers, who have helped push sales of three- and four-door extended-cab pickups to the top of the popularity charts. And with crew cab seating for six long-available to full-size truck buyers, it was only a matter of time before somebody figured out that many compact truck buyers would want that kind of versatility, too. That somebody is Dodge.

After playing catch-up to some multi-door competition in the full-size market, Dodge is now first on the block with a true four-door pickup for compact buyers. The 2000 Dakota Quad Cab features four full-sized front-hinged doors and seating for six, a short-box bed that's still over five feet long and boasts a class-leading 1,450-pound payload, as well as the availability of a 245-horsepower V8.

"We've developed a pickup that can fit nearly any need-whether it's people, payload or power," said Jim Julow, Dodge Division VP. "We've maximized the utility of a compact pickup."

Indeed, the standard 40/20/40 front bench allows seating for six adults, something not available with Ford's 2001 Explorer Sport Trac four-door compact shown earlier in the day. At 4.5-feet, the Ford's cargo box is smaller, and with its 204-horse V6 the top engine option, Sport Trac falls woefully behind the Dodge, despite the Ford coming out a year later as a 2001 model.