Question: When was the first mid-size pickup truck from Chrysler's Ram division introduced which is the basis of Dodge Durango?

The Dodge Durango is a sport utility vehicle (SUV) produced by Dodge.  The first two generations were very similar in that both were based on the Dodge Dakota, both featured a body-on-frame construction and both were produced at the Newark Assembly plant in Newark, Delaware.  However, they did differ in that the first generation was classified as a mid-sized SUV, while the second generation was classified as a full-sized SUV. <SEP> The Ford Explorer Sport Trac, sometimes referred to as simply the Ford Sport Trac, is a mid-size pickup truck sold mostly in North America produced by Ford from 2000 through 2010.  The Sport Trac was based on the Ford Explorer SUV - not based on the compact Ford Ranger (North America) - because it was introduced when the Explorer and Ranger platforms diverged (Explorer's chassis was a heavy duty variant of the Ranger's).  The Sport Trac fell between the Ranger and Ford F-Series in Ford's truck lineup, based on capability and price.  It competed with other mid-size trucks and SUVs, such as the mid-size Honda Ridgeline and even the larger full-size Chevrolet Avalanche.  During its first year on sale in the U.S., there was a waiting list of over 3 months.  The Sport Trac was a Class 2 vehicle with a GVWR of 6250 lbs.  and a maximum GCWR of 12,000 lbs.  This made it one of the more and the then most capable mid-size pickups, having a greater GVWR and GCWR than the Dodge Dakota, GM's GMC Canyon/Chevrolet Colorado pickups and Toyota Tacoma. <SEP>  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. 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.  Dakotas have been used by police and fire departments, as off-road vehicles, patrol trucks, or even brush trucks. <SEP> The Mitsubishi Triton is a compact pickup truck produced by Mitsubishi.  It was originally known as the Mitsubishi Forte in Japan from 1978 to 1986, when the name was discontinued as the pickup was not sold in its home market for a while.  It returned to Japan in 1991 as the Strada.  In the United States two captive imports of the Forte were sold by the Chrysler Corporation from 1979, as the Dodge Ram 50 and Plymouth Arrow Truck.  Mitsubishi itself imported it as the Mighty Max when it began selling directly in the US from 1982 to 1996, at which point the Plymouth ceased to be available.  In North America, after the Mighty Max was no longer offered, the Mitsubishi Raider was offered, sharing a platform with the Dodge Dakota.  In Japan, it was sold at a specific retail chain called "Car Plaza".