Nitro is the new 'in your face' SUV from American brand Dodge. Think of it as a Hummer for the masses and you’re on the right track! I absolutely love the look of the five-seat Nitro, it’s so far from subtle it’s brilliant.
While there may be a backlash against SUVs at the moment, you have to love the OTT bling styling of the mid-size four-wheel drive.
The front end is the star of the show featuring a bumper that’s so big you can sit on it!
The side profile is very Hummer-like with tiny windows and a high waistline, all for a fraction of the cost to your pocket not to mention the environment. The chunky rear end styling of the 2.8 litre ‘Panther’ diesel should really carry the ‘spare’ on the outside for that great outdoors look, instead Nitro hides its spare wheel under the rear cargo area.
Inside Nitro may well be a sea of plastics, but the quality is not the worst for an American machine. The seats are covered in a new kind of stain resistant fabric called ‘YES Essential’ so Nitro should be capable of dealing with the school run and anything the kids can throw up!
The interior is versatile too, with a fold flat front passenger seat and a rear split folding seat that can lock down flat also. This means Nitro has a vast cargo area available and the good news is a commercial version is available from launch (€32,495 inc. VAT).
Dodge has put just one high level of specification on the market ‘SXT’. It includes the usual goodies like 17” alloys, colour coded wheel arches that really make the car look purposeful, six airbags and tyre pressure monitors as some of the standard highlights. The boot features a handy sliding boot floor (Load ‘N Go) that helps loading, it even managed to hold my weight when extended, so it’s ideal for eating a picnic out of at Croke Park.
On the road Nitro handles pretty well. The driving position is commanding and the car corners relatively flat. The controls are light and require little effort to use. Two gearboxes are available namely a six-speed manual (best avoided) and a five-speed automatic that is just the job. Power comes from an American 2.8 litre diesel that can power two wheels or four (part time) with the turn of a selector dial.
Dodge says four-wheel drive should only be selected on loose surfaces only while two-wheel drive manages to get the power down well. Nitro is not slouch and with 177bhp to play with can get to 100 km/h as quick as some GTIs. Nitro is reasonably frugal too needing just 8.6 litres of fuel to travel 100 kilometres.
‘ESP’ is standard as is a new acronym ‘ERM’ (Electronic Rollover Mitigation) that in theory in an emergency situation applies the brakes to one or more wheels (like ESP) and adjusts the engine speed to help avoid… well the car rolling over.
At €42,495 Nitro is coming in at Freelander 2 money and that is one good car, but the Nitro brings a smile to my face just looking at it, it’s a Tonka toy come to life!
Michael Sheridan
