2009 Dodge Nitro Reviews

Going undercover is, after all, about blending in, becoming part of the crowd and attracting as little attention as possible.Looking at Nitro you get the feeling that designers had something different in mind. The brash American five-seat wagon attracts plenty of comment with its oversized wheels, pumped-out guards and big, blunt 'cow-catcher' front end. There's no missing Dodge's trademark, chrome crosshair grille either.Nitro comes with a 3.7-litre petrol V6 or a 2.8-litre turbo diesel.Our test vehicle was the top of the line SXT diesel priced from $43,490. The diesel adds $3500 to the price, but this also buys a five-speed auto with sequential mode instead of the standard four-speed.Nitro sits on the same platform that will underpin the forthcoming Jeep Cherokee, with a part-time four-wheel drive system that is not suitable for dry bitumen roads.Unless you hit the switch it remains rear-wheel drive. This negates the benefits of all-wheel drive and, with no low range gearing its off-road ability is also restricted.The in-line four-cylinder turbo diesel produces 130kW of power at 3800rpm and 460Nm of torque at 2000rpm. Impressive figures but, as the SXT tips the scales at just under two tonnes, it's not the fastest cab off the rank, with 0-100km/h taking 10.5 seconds.Both petrol and diesel models are rated to tow the same braked 2270kg. But the diesel remains the better bet with 146Nm more torque, delivering dividends in driveability and fuel economy.With a 70-litre tank, fuel consumption is rated at 9.4 litres/100km, but our test vehicle proved thirstier than this at 11.4 litres/100km or about 600km to the tank.Nitro is described as a medium-sized sports utility vehicle and goes head to head with Ford's Territory and the Holden Captiva.In reality, it's a rather snug fit inside. Taller drivers will find getting in and out of the cab awkward unless they remember to duck. Rear leg room is good, but at the expense of load capacity and it can be a squeeze for three adults across the back seat. The luggage area itself features a trick slide-out floor for easier loading.Although Nitro is targeted mainly at road users, drivers expecting car-like ride and handling will be disappointed.The ride is harsh with plenty of old-fashioned, 4x4 rock and roll and the solid rear axle can become skittish if it encounters a bump mid-corner.The SXT model comes with 20-inch alloys shod with 245/50 profile tyres that look terrific but do little to cushion the bumps. A full-size spare is fitted but drivers will miss not having a driver's footrest.Although very well equipped with six airbags and electronic stability control, Nitro's interior doesn't quite match its killer looks, with plenty of hard plastic to be found.At the end of the day it's a fun, desirable car to be seen in, but one that is badly in need of some refinement.

Going undercover is, after all, about blending in, becoming part of the crowd and attracting as little attention as possible.Looking at Nitro you get the feeling that designers had something different in mind.The brash American five-seat wagon attracts plenty of comment with its oversized wheels, pumped-out guards and big, blunt “cow-catcher” front end.There's no missing Dodge's trademark, chrome crosshair grille either.Nitro comes with a 3.7-litre petrol V6 or a 2.8-litre turbo diesel.Our test vehicle was the top of the line SXT diesel priced from $43,490.The diesel adds $3500 to the price, but this also buys a five-speed auto with sequential mode instead of the standard four-speed.Nitro sits on the same platform that will underpin the forthcoming Jeep Cherokee, with a part-time four-wheel drive system that is not suitable for dry bitumen roads.Unless you hit the switch it remains rear-wheel drive.This negates the benefits of all-wheel drive and, with no low range gearing its off-road ability is also restricted.The in-line four-cylinder turbo diesel produces 130kW of power at 3800rpm and 460Nm of torque at 2000rpm.Impressive figures but, as the SXT tips the scales at just under two tonnes, it's not the fastest cab off the rank, with 0-100km/h taking 10.5 seconds.Both petrol and diesel models are rated to tow the same braked 2270kg.But the diesel remains the better bet with 146Nm more torque, delivering dividends in driveability and fuel economy.With a 70-litre tank, fuel consumption is rated at 9.4 litres/100km, but our test vehicle proved thirstier than this at 11.4 litres/100km or about 600km to the tank.Nitro is described as a medium-sized sports utility vehicle and goes head to head with Ford's Territory and the Holden Captiva.In reality, it's a rather snug fit inside.Taller drivers will find getting in and out of the cab awkward unless they remember to duck.Rear leg room is good, but at the expense of load capacity and it can be a squeeze for three adults across the back seat.The luggage area itself features a trick slide-out floor for easier loading.Although Nitro is targeted mainly at road users, drivers expecting car-like ride and handling will be disappointed.The ride is harsh with plenty of old-fashioned, 4x4 rock and roll and the solid rear axle can become skittish if it encounters a bump mid-corner.The SXT model comes with 20-inch alloys shod with 245/50 profile tyres that look terrific but do little to cushion the bumps.A full-size spare is fitted but drivers will miss not having a driver's footrest.Although very well equipped with six airbags and electronic stability control, Nitro's interior doesn't quite match its killer looks, with plenty of hard plastic to be found.At the end of the day it's a fun, desirable car to be seen in, but one that is badly in need of some refinement.

What's wrong with the compliment: “Nice car, mate”? I know too well that the youth of today would be acutely unaware of such delights as the music of Dire Straits, ice-cold Snips and the Dodge brand of motor car, the latter resurfacing in Australia last year after an absence of more than 30 years.I know that beanies have evolved to be more than apparel to keep your head warm, that it is “cool” to have your jeans five sizes too big, and bling is for boys as much as it is for girls.But am I expected to be so up with the times, so down with it, to appreciate the comment thrown to me from some young homeboys while I cruised Adelaide in a new Dodge Nitro?“PHAT . . . that car is fully phat, mate . . . sick.”It was followed by a mix of phrases from the wanna-be, pale-looking rappers, which included various combinations of the words; “fully-sick,” “smoke it up,” and “filth.”While there was little chance of actually “smokin up” the 2.8-litre, common-rail-diesel, five-speed auto medium SUV, I did think the term “PHAT” suited the robust truck. Its flat-faced, crosshair grille-endowed nose says you mean business, and the square body sitting on 20-inch alloy wheels gives drivers and occupants a sense of presence.But the rappers clearly were only appreciative of the look and knew little about the Nitro's performance and the points the Chrysler Group believes will help drive the Dodge brand forward with gusto.Aesthetics of the Nitro appreciated by the cool set, I was somewhat surprised when a man of the cloth, a very car-clued Barossa minister, later stopped me in the street to discuss its performance values.He was particularly keen on the towing capacity and tow ball weight limit of the diesel Nitro. A quick check of the specifications confirmed it to be 2270kg, (braked towing capacity) and adequate for his caravan towing needs.The soft-roader will make a big impression on the city streets, there is no mistaking it for anything other than a Dodge.It feels good on the road and is surprisingly more nimble than its imposing body suggests. Particularly impressive is its performance on dirt roads, although the eagerness of the ESP to kick in is a little annoying.A sliding Load and Go boot top is practical, as is the hard plastic underfloor rear cargo bin.The Nitro is nothing outstanding on the road, but it is a genuine, solid vehicle with its greatest asset being its distinctive looks. 

The Dodge Nitro might not be as imposing as the bigger SUVs or four-wheel-drives that muscle their way through traffic but it still has a presence and imposing air.For the image-conscious it definitely qualifies as a macho machine but importantly for those looking for economy it won't be so crippling at the bowser.Nitro designer Tim Anness said the M80 project began life in January 2001 as a drawing of a pick-up for a concept vehicle.“We then also looked at an SUV and it was popular,” he said.“Research came back that the front end looked too much like a Jeep with its rounded headlights, so we changed to the square ones.”The Nitro features the iconic Dodge crosshair grille with the Dodge rams head in the centre.The chrome grille has been stretched from corner to corner, including squared-off lights, with fat fenders extending further and a clamshell hood or bonnet on top. The effect is all macho.Nitro is not timid with technology, either — it is very intuitive.The Dodge Nitro is well-versed in digital entertainment and communication technologies, including MP3, CD, DVD, USB, VES (for Video Entertainment System), and a new one, MyGIG Multimedia Infotainment System.MyGIG includes a 20-gigabyte hard drive where music and photos can be stored.Chrysler Group's Australian managing director Gerry Jenkins said: “The Dodge Nitro has a wide range of potential customers ranging from mid-sized SUV buyers through to Falcon and Commodore owners looking for something different.“The Nitro is certainly fresh with macho good looks, it has 'get outta my way styling' and a kick-ass turbo diesel option that would be particularly attractive to buyers with a price tag that would surprise and delight.”Among the vehicle's standard equipment are electronic stability program, electronic roll mitigation, all-speed traction control, brake assist, advanced anti-lock brakes and side-curtain airbags.The Dodge Nitro will be available standard with a 3.7-litre V6 mated to a four-speed automatic, while the 2.8-litre common rail turbo diesel engine will come standard with a five-speed automatic.

Some will regard this collection of big rectangles as just about as good as it gets. Others will recall a child's crayon drawing of a car."Dardge" -- as the Americans pronounce it -- make no bones that this ostensible SUV is essentially a life-support system for phat 20-inch rims and various bling packages.It's a brash boulevard bully with little more off-road application than a soft-roader, one in which show is more a priority than go.Weighing in from 1780kg to just under 1900kg, kit and tranny depending, Australian-spec Nitros get either a 3.7 petrol V6 or a 2.8 turbo diesel four, which serves these days in everything from Jeep's Compass to Mercedes-Benz's ML.The two oilers we sampled in Spain last week came with either a six-speed manual or an auto five. The latter box is the choice over an uncertain stick shift whose throw -- especially to fifth and sixth gear -- was not so much long as Olympian.But then the diesel's loud and gravelly note would reckon poorly with the doof-doof sounds pouring from an up-spec SXT model with, say, a pimped out white-body, darkened-windows and chrome crosshair grille.The Nitro's cabin is the best of the three new-gen Dodge models we've seen, faint praise though that may seem. Simple and functional, there is none of the grey plastics that mar the Caliber and Avenger, rather there's decent dark leather and bits of brushed aluminium.The MyGIG Multimedia Infotainment System includes one of the best sat-nav systems we've met -- smart enough to identify and announce road names and route numbers.The sound system can store 100 hours of music, which, with its resonant clarity and volume, would suit it for any outdoor rave. The driver's seat is electronically adjustable, yet the steering wheel moves only up and down giving an uncomfortable position.While the Nitro's driverly considerations seem largely beside the point, it is not an unrewarding experience to push on inviting roads. The Nitro is powered through the rear-wheels, with mildly back-axle biased all-wheel-drive selectable via a switch.Ride on the phat tyres is unruffled, although European roads are not ours. The Nitro emulates some aspects of Jeep's products, including excessive wind noise at speed. It will attract a different buyer to the Wrangler or Cherokee.Given its outer appeal, the Dodge at about $38,000 could cause some discomfort to GM's Hummer, which arrives here a month later and a price point north of $50K. A case of the Lion or the Ram.

The Dodge Nitro rolls on down California State Highway 74 from San Diego to Palm Springs turning heads and looking macho with its imposing grille and boxy Hummer-like body.