Automotive Faqs

In a time of day when many automakers are changing to timid alpha-numeric designations for their vehicles, you have to give Dodge thumbs up for unashamedly turning to weaponry and explosives when it comes time to showing off its new vehicles. There’s the Dodge Magnum, the Dodge M80 concept and now the 2007 Dodge Nitro, the brand’s first mid-size SUV that’s designed to blow the competition out of the water.

At the start of the media drive of the Nitro, on a dock overlooking part of the U.S. Naval Fleet including the USS Ronald Reagan, Dodge officials blasted away at “the sea of sameness” among rivals such as the Ford Escape, Chevrolet Equinox and Nissan Xterra. “They look somewhat feminine and not in a good way,” explained Dennis Myles, Chrysler Group’s senior manager of product design. “They look like they belong in an insurance ad.”

But not the five-passenger Nitro, which teeters perilously close to being cartoonish with its bulging wheel flares and crosshair grille, as if it were drawn by some first-grader stoked up on Mountain Dew and M&Ms. Still, it all seems to work in a kind of overblown, American way. I like the Nitro because it is unmistakable on the road, turns heads and has a safe, practical side, as well.

After spending the better part of the day driving around in a top-of-the-line Nitro R/T with 20-inch chrome-clad wheels and a bottom line of $29,115, my one piece of advice to buyers is this: Might as well go whole hog and order it in “inferno red crystal pearl coat,” which is Dodge’s signature color and seems to suit the Nitro’s character particularly well.

The new Nitro, which is based on the Jeep Liberty, is on sale now, starting at $19,885, including a $660 destination charge, for the base SXT model. The range-topping Nitro R/T won’t reach Dodge dealers until later in the model year.

The Nitro R/T is a gutsy performer, especially on the highway in passing and merging situations, but the additional power lowers overall fuel economy. The EPA rates it at 17 miles per gallon in city driving and 21 miles per gallon on the highway.

The base engine in the Nitro is a 3.7-liter single-overhead-cam that produces a respectable 210 horsepower and 235 pounds-feet of torque. In the 4×2 model, this engine gets 18 miles per gallon in city driving and 24 miles per gallon on the highway.

However, Dodge will show off a Nitro concept with a modified 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 at the upcoming Specialty Equipment Market Association show. This one-off Nitro will get a black/purple metallic paint job, 22-inch wheels and tires and ground effects. But Dodge has no plans to put a production Nitro with a Hemi on the market.

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