Mitsubishi had the luxury of focusing solely on the design and appearance of its new 2006 Raider mid-sized pickup. Dodge had already engineered the chassis and drivetrain. Under an agreement between DaimlerChrysler and Mitsubishi, the Raider would be built on the 2005 Dodge Dakota platform at the Warren, Michigan, truck plant. Mitsu and DCX are now estranged partners (DaimlerChrysler still owns a 37 percent stake in Mitsubishi Motors but is no longer funding future development), yet it still made sense for the Mitsubishi designers to separate the Raider as far as possible from the Dakota as well as incorporating familiar cues from other current Mitsu offerings such as the Endeavor and Eclipse.
Designers at Mitsubishi’s Southern California studio drew inspiration from the Sport Truck Concept that was first shown at the 2004 North American International Auto Show. The Sport Truck Concept was wrapped with an energetic, urban-assault skin and came at you with a loud, big-mouth grille and steely eyed headlamps. As a concept it offered a few clever advancements such as an electronically operated 4-position tailgate, open-air seating for the rear passengers and an integrated bed.
The Raider’s front end is less aggressive than the Concept. The grille opening has been closed with a wider lower jaw dressed in silver. A clean mesh grille adds even more highlight. The headlamps aren’t as sleek as the Concept, and the driving lights are smaller and round. The overall sheet metal is rounder and softer than its sharp-ended Dodge cousin while still being confined to the Dakota’s measurements. Only the roof and rear cab panels are common.
The overall appearance is pleasing and will not be confused with other mid-sized pickups. Whether it’s distinctive enough to draw pickup shoppers back into Mitsubishi dealerships again is yet to be determined. Mitsubishi had a strong history in compact pickups in the ’70s and ’80s, building the Mighty Max for itself and the Ram 50 for Dodge (a version called the Arrow was also sold by Plymouth dealers for a short time). But when Dakota was introduced as the first mid-sized pickup in 1987, there was less need for a compact pickup by Dodge. The Ram 50 was dropped in 1994 and the Mighty Max died a year later. Mitsubishi still manufacturers pickups out of Japan but only for other countries.
Marketing the Raider, which was the name of a former Mitsubishi SUV, comes down to pricing (which has not been released yet), content, dealership experience and availability of a better warranty. While the Raider will not offer Mitsubishi’s generous 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty, it will go with a 5-year/60,000-mile coverage. Basic warranty is also 5-year/60,000-mile with rust protection for 7-year/100,000-mile. That compares to a standard 3-year/36,000 mile basic and powertrain warranty offered by Dodge with 5-year/100,000-mile rust protection.
The Raider will be offered in extended cab and Double Cab configurations only; both built on a 131.3-inch wheelbase and available in 2- or 4-wheel-drive. Extended cab models feature a 6.4-foot-long cargo box while the crew cab model has a shorter 5.3-foot-long box. Base engine is a 210-horsepower, 3.7-liter V6. Also available is a 230-horsepower, 4.7-liter V8. While there isn’t much difference in horsepower-or fuel economy-between the two engines, the V8 offers 55 lb-ft more torque. EPA mileage estimates fall in range of 15-17 mpg city/19-22 mpg highway. The V6 can be mated to a 6-speed manual or a 4-speed auto while the V8 choices include 5-speed manual or automatic. The 4.7-liter High Output V8 engine offered on the Dakota is not available on the Raider. Max towing capacity is 6500 pounds on a properly equipped model.
Three trim levels include LS, DuroCross and XLS. Here’s a brief description of each and there may some minor differences between extended cab and Double Cab:
LS: Air conditioning, tachometer, tinted glass, AM/FM/CD audio with 4 speakers, front bench seat. Options include power windows/locks/mirrors, cruise control and tilt steering column.
DuroCross: Adds 16-inch alloy wheels, fog lamps, 6×9 heated foldaway mirrors, sliding rear window, leather trimmed steering wheel, floor mats, fender flairs, side steps, bedliner, heavy duty cooling and 750-amp battery. 4WD models add BFG All-Terrain tires, gas shocks, skid plates and limited slip differential. V8 adds power driver’s seat, standard towing package and satin interior finish accents. V8 options include premium sound system with 6-disc CD changer and subwoofer (bucket seats included in extended cab w/ this package).
XLS: Offered only in Double Cab. V8/automatic is standard along with tow package, premium audio, heated bucket seats, leather upholstery, center console, rear window defrost and heated mirrors. Options include fulltime 4WD transfer case, side-curtain air bags and 4-wheel ABS.
My first ride came behind the wheel of a 2WD extended cab DuroCross with the premium audio and accompanying cloth bucket seats. The interior is very no-nonsense and very dark. Seats were upright and firm yet accommodating. Certainly the most favorable impression has already been observed in previous Dakota test stories. The ride is quieter than expected, steering feel is improved with the new rack-and-pinion system, and the ride is more relaxing with the stiffer frame and improved suspension. There are no slight or noticeable differences in ride and handling between the Dakota and Raider. They are fraternal twins separated at birth.
Badge engineering is rarely looked upon favorably, mostly because styling between the vehicles is not distinctive enough to separate them. That’s not a problem with the Raider and Dakota. Whether or not appearance is a reason any mid-size truck shopper has rejected the Dakota is questionable. And even more debatable will be whether or not those consumers think the Raider has the right design. Mitsubishi is trying to promote itself as being the only import brand to offer a V8 in a mid-size pickup. The only problem is that the 230-horsepower V8 falls short of V6 engines offered by the import brands of Toyota (236 in the Tacoma) and Nissan (265 in Frontier). That’ll be a tough one for the dealers to explain.
The new Dodge Dakota is enjoying moderate success through the first eight months of 2005. Sales are up for 1 percent year-to-date while Tacoma is up 3 percent and Frontier is up 4 percent (GMC Canyon and Chevy Colorado are up a combined 42% behind the employee pricing discount program). The Dakota/Raider platform is solid but there is so much competition within this segment and from steep discounts offered in the fullsize truck lines. The Raider will not disappoint open-minded shoppers if Mitsubishi can just get them into the dealership.