Nitro: Explosive idea falls short
Dodge’s new Nitro presents a strong case for automotive inbreeding.
Down below, where the dirty work gets done, the midsize crossover SUV reworks the genetic structure of its Jeep cousin, the Liberty.
Up top, it adopts the bad-boy swagger of its Ram truck siblings.
On the inside, it benefits from the consumer-friendly aesthetic of such family members as the Jeep Compass and Dodge Caliber, themselves corporate near-twins.
Jeep and Dodge account for two-thirds of the Chrysler division of DaimlerChrysler, a global company formed six years ago when Germany’s Daimler-Benz absorbed American-born Chrysler.
Skeptics’ doubts about the union have come to fruition, though, and the Daimler side of the family says it feels unfulfilled and wants out.
It’s currently listening to suitors.
To no one’s great surprise, analysts say the Jeep brand and Dodge’s trucks are Chrysler’s family jewels. So the mash-up that produced the Nitro makes sense.
If you were so inclined, you might even say it’s an explosive formula.
A Jeep at Heart?
Structurally, the Nitro is an oddball amalgam. It’s based on a stretched version of the Liberty’s unibody — i.e., car-like — platform. Yet it incorporates a truck-like solid rear axle and a pair of V-6 engines from the truck side of the family.
It’s available in 2WD and 4WD configurations and in three trim levels: SXT ($19,885/21,545, including destination); SLT ($23,295/24,995); and R/T ($26,265/27,935).
Standard gear on all trims includes a six-speaker AM/FM/CD audio system with MP3 capabilities, roof rack, 115-volt outlet, 16-inch steel wheels and power windows, mirrors and locks.
The SXT and SLT are powered by a 210-horsepower, 3.7-liter V-6 and the R/T by a 4.0-liter six that makes 260 hp. The SXT is available only with a five-speed manual transmission, the SLT with a four-speed automatic and the R/T with a five-speed auto.
The R/T gets full-time 4WD, while the others get a driver-controlled part-time system.
Attitude Counts
Encountering that massive grille, muscular fender bulges and monochromatic color scheme, one might mistake the Nitro for the rough-riding outlier of the Dodge family, a junior brother to the mighty Durango.
Furthermore, its high beltline and short windows carry a hint of the HUMMER brand and those faux front quarter-panel vents are cribbed from Land Rover’s design book.
But the Nitro is no more naughty than the ninth-grader next door who gels his hair into a weekend Mohawk. Slide into the roomy cabin and you’ll see what I mean.
The seats are soft (though to a fault, I think, and their cushions push the occupant up and out, when they should draw one in, to provide lateral support) and the controls are attractively and logically arranged.
Inside, the bluff, squared-off look of the exterior turns into a mixed bag of circles and angles. The door handles are round, but the metallic-look center console is pure rectangle. It contains the instrument panel, the shift lever and a pair of vents. Inside three chrome-rimmed pods, the gauges glow a fashionable blue.
An abundance of storage bins includes a large one in the center console, which also has a handy tray for smaller items. The steering wheel tilts but does not telescope and there’s no dead-pedal for the driver’s left foot to rest on.
Rear-seat passengers get plenty of leg, hip and headroom and the bottom cushions are sufficiently deep to provide adequate thigh support.
The 60/40-split rear seat folds flat, as does the passenger-side front seat, to allow loading long objects.
On the uplevel trims, a sliding cargo floor extends up to 18 inches beyond the rear bumper, easing the task of loading of heavy objects. It will accept loads of up to 400 pounds.
The Road Speaks
The Nitro competes against a gaggle of car-based crossovers, whose all-independent suspensions give them a natural ride and handling advantage.
To compensate for its truck-based suspension, Dodge engineers softened the Nitro’s shock-absorber damping characteristics. Under normal conditions, this produces a smooth ride and decent handling. The downside is poor handling on rough surfaces and during side-to-side transitions.
I noticed the effects most on rutted gravel roads, where the front suspension became loose and uncontrollable, pulling hard to one side or the other. Turning the steering wheel to compensate had no effect, as the tires skittered freely across the bumps.
Others have noticed the same pattern while cornering on broken pavement. Caution is urged.
Symptomatic of truck design, the steering system is numb and slow to respond.
We tested the SLT, with its 210-hp V-6 and four-speed automatic. Developed for use in trucks, the engine is torque rich (235 foot-pounds at 4,000 rpm), but it’s also noisy and struggles to move the 4,000-pound Nitro with authority. The transmission produces quick, clean shifts, but another gear would improve both fuel efficiency and mid-range acceleration.
Outstanding in concept, this marriage of Jeep technology with Dodge design falls shy of the mark in execution. Still, the Nitro is boldly designed and priced right, a surefire combination in a category where growth continues to be, um, explosive.