2008 Dodge Nitro R/T 4x4

The Thing
I flew to San Diego to experience the new crossover from the Chrysler Group, referred as “the thing” by its design manager and by its marketing director. Perhaps they couldn’t find other words to describe a sporty vehicle that is not quite a wagon, SUV or crossover, much less a sports car. I couldn’t either.

Text: Isaac Hernández

Photos: IH/MercuryPress.com

Dodge is the largest brand for the Chrysler Group, occupying fifth place in sales volume in the US. Most of its sales come from its minivans and trucks, with 19 and 16 percent of the market, respectively, while cars take only 4 percent of the pie. The Nitro is the second world vehicle for Dodge, on sale in the US in October and around the world next summer.

John Opfer, Manager of Dodge Nitro Design claims that the inspiration for the Nitro looks came from the Dodge M80 concept truck. “We wanted to set this thing apart from the segment,” he says. The underpinnings however are an evolution of the Jeep Liberty. Dodge considers the Nissan Xterra, Ford Maverick and Chevy Equinox to be Nitro’s competitor.

From the front the Nitro is really like nothing else out there. Our R/T test car wears 20” x 7.5” chrome-clad aluminum rims (on P245/50R20 VSB ASP Goodyear tires), the largest in the segment, which together with wide fender flares, makes it look spectacular. The base model wheels are16-inchers, while the SLT comes with 17”.
The belt line is high, which sets the car apart when seen from the side. The B-pillar is body-color, “to emphasized the driver”, while the C-pillar is black to hide in the tinted windows. Nitro loses its originality from the rear, as it looks too much like the Ford Maverick.

Thanks to a high roof line and to a relatively low floor, it’s easy to get into our red-appointed interior with real aluminum accents. The R/T is upholstered in Yes Essentials fabric that is stain repellent and absorbs odors. The driver seat offer good lumbar support, height adjustment and much travel. The rear seats split 60/40 and recline. There’s good leg and headroom on both rows. The front passenger seat folds flat, to provide a “desk” for the driver, or more cargo space, as much as 75.6cu-ft (2.1m3). Behind the front row, cargo volume is as much as 65.2cu-ft (1.8m3) when second row is folded flat, and with all rows up, we still have 32.1cu-ft (0.9m3). The space in our vehicle is slightly less, as it features the optional subwoofer in the trunk, plus an eight-speaker Infinity 360-watt audio system for a very decent sound. A feature standard in the SLT and R/T models is the new Load N’ Go cargo tray that slides out 18” (457mm) and holds as much as 400-lbs (181kg) for easier loading of heavy items.
When the car goes on sale in Europe next summer, there will be three engines available, a 2.8 VM common rail diesel, a 3.7-liter V-6 SOHC (210hp @5200 and 319N-m @ 4000rpm), and the 4.0 V-6 SOHC in the R/T (260hp @6000rpm and 359N-m @4200rpm). American drivers will have to do without the diesel version.

A six-speed manual transmission is available, as well as a 4-speed automatic. Our R/T comes with a five-speed auto gear box with full time 4x4 transfer case. There’s also a part-time 4WD transfer case, standard on vehicles with manual transmission.

Nitro rides on a coil-spring suspension, short- and long-arm independent up front and five-link solid axle in the rear. ABS disc brakes (with vented front and solid rear rotors) are standard.
Even though the front glass is very slanted, Nitro is a tall car and it feels as such when you drive it. Luckily, ESP and ERM (Electronic Rollover Mitigation) are standard across the full line. Also included are side-curtain airbags for both rows and tire pressure monitoring system.

The leather-covered steering wheel (base models are plastic) feels good on the hands and rack-and-pinion steering is decent, although with a little bit of lag before it responds. Turning radius is good, at 36.3 ft. (11.1 m), with 3.42 turns lock to lock.
The accelerator is also a bit slow to react to our foot. Still, the 4.0 engine has plenty of power for a 0-60mph in just over 8 seconds. It took about 8.5 seconds to go from 55 to 75mph; not as responsive. But the gear ratios are more to blame than the engine. The five-speed transmission could definitely improve; on twisty roads where constant acceleration and deceleration are needed, the transmission wouldn’t make up its mind as in to which gear remain too often. It was time to switch to the auto-stick mode and leave it in second gear.

With the 260 ponies on our 1883kg (4151-lbs) R/T is easy to get excited on the freeway, and we followed a Chevy Camaro at 95mph, before letting go, with no signs of stress on the engine and a pretty solid ride. We have to thanks the fact that the R/T has a sport suspension with evolved sway bar, springs, shocks and bushings. Thanks to this package, and to the standard anti-lock four-wheel disc brakes, we found braking easy and with much less nose dive than in the base model 2WD that I also had a chance to test.

At high speeds wind noise is relatively low, but the car is not necessarily quiet, due to the growl of the V-6 and the tire noise coming from the tires. Nitro R/T is hardly an off-roader; with limited ground clearance, its 4x4 system is more useful at keeping it on the paved road (especially on rainy days) and good to go on a dirt road if needed.

Our test R/T came with the optional trailer tow group, which allows for up to 5,000-lbs (2268kg) of towing. The official fuel consumption for a base 2WD model with the 3.7 engine is 18/24 mpg (13.1/9.8-liters/100km). Our R/T 4.0 is rated at 17/21mpg (13.8/11.2-liters/100km). During our test, we clocked 19.6 mpg (12-liters/100km) at 65mph in the highway, according to our trip computer, and an average of 14.7mpg (16-liters/100km) overall.

The 2WD price for a base model starts at $19,885, which is not bad. But our R/T 4x4 will cost almost $12,000 more, because of extras like the trailer group, sun roof, audio system, satellite radio, hands-free phone connection, full-size spare and the Inferno Red Crystal Pearl paint. Otherwise, the R/T 4x4 starts at $26,970; prices always for USA, where it’s being manufactured in Toledo, Ohio.

The Nitro R/T is not as fun as a Charger R/T, but it’s practical and definitely original. Even though, it comes loaded with features and an attractive interior, I found our test model quite expensive. It was hard to justify the extra $12,000 from a base model; you could buy a car for that price! Still, for those who love to stand out, the temptation of the horsepower, the watt power and the chrome power of the large chrome-clad wheels may be difficult to resist.

Specifications

Engine
4.0-Liter SOHC V-6
Type and Description ........................ 60-degree bank angle, liquid-cooled, with three-plenum intake manifold, electronically-controlled manifold tuning valve and short-runner valves
Displacement ............... 241.2 cu. in. (3952 cu. cm)
Bore x Stroke ............... 3.78 x 3.58 (96 x 91)
Valve System ............... SOHC, 24 valves, hydraulic, center-pivot roller rocker arms
Fuel Injection ............... Sequential, multi-port, electronic
Construction ................ Semi-permanent molded aluminum block with cast-in iron liners and cast-aluminum heads
Compression Ratio ......................... 10.3:1
Power (SAE net, estimated) ............ 260 hp (194 kW) @ 6,000 rpm
Torque (SAE net, estimated) ........... 265 lb.-ft. (359 N•m) @ 4,200 rpm
Maximum Engine Speed ................. 6,000 rpm (electronically limited)
Fuel Requirement ........................... Unleaded mid-grade, 89 octane (R+M)/2 — preferred, unleaded regular, 87 octane (R+M)/2 — acceptable
Oil Capacity ................................... 6 qt. (4.0L) SAE 10W-30 with dry filter
Coolant Capacity ............................ 14.3 qt. (13.5L)
Emission Controls .......................... Maniverter three-way catalytic converters, quad-heated oxygen sensors and internal engine features(e)
Alternator ..................................... 160-amp
Battery ........................................ 600 CCA, maintenance-free
Estimated EPA Fuel Economy mpg (city/hwy) ...... Automatic 17/21

Transmission
W5A580 — Automatic Five-speed Overdrive
Description ..... Adaptive electronic control, and electronically modulated torque converter clutch
Gear Ratios
1st ......................................... 3.59
2nd ........................................ 2.19
3rd ......................................... 1.41
4th ......................................... 1.0
5th ......................................... 0.83
Reverse .................................. 3.16
Axle ....................................... 3.55 with 4.0-liter SOHC V-6

Overall Top Gear 2.95 with 4.0-liter SOHC V-6

Transfer Case
MP 140 GII Single-speed
Availability .................................. Included on 4WD with automatic transmission Type .......................................... Full-time
Operating Ranges ....................... 4WD full-time
Center Differential Type ................ Planetary
Torque Split, F/R ......................... 48/52

Dimensions and Capacities, inches (mm)
Wheelbase .................................... 108.8 (2763.0)
Track, Front ................................... 61.0 (1549.4)
Track, Rear .................................... 61.0 (1549.4)
Overall Length ................................ 178.9 (4544.0)
Overall Width .................................. 73.1 (1856.9)
Overall Height ................................. 69.9 (1775.8)
Approach Angle, degrees ................. 25.6
Breakover Angle, degrees ................. 22.0
Departure Angle, degrees ................. 26.7
Aero CdA ........................................ 11.6
Aero Cd ........................................... 0.38
Fuel Tank Capacity .......................... 19.5 gal. (73.8L)

Maximum Payload, lbs. (kg), Includes Occupants and Cargo ...1,150 lbs. (590 kg)
Towing Capacities, lbs. (kg)
All models equipped with a Class II Trailer Hitch ......... 2,000 (907)
3.7-liter and 4.0-liter engine, Manual or Automatic transmission with trailer tow group ...................... 3,500 (1588)
3.7-liter and 4.0-liter engine, Manual or Automatic transmission with trailer tow group and weight distributing hitch .......................... 5,000 (2268)

Weights, Curb, Base Vehicle, lbs. (kg)
4.0-liter engine, 4WD ... Nitro R/T, automatic transmission — 4150.9 (1882.8)

Accommodations
Seating Capacity — F/R ......................... 2/3
Front Row , inches (mm)
Head room ........................................ 40.6 (1032.1)
Head room with sun roof ..................... 38.3 (971.9)
Head room with open roof .................... 41.7 (1059.5)
Leg room ........................................... 40.8 (1036.4)
Shoulder room .................................... 57.2 (1452.2)
Hip room ............................................ 56.8 (1443.9)
Seat travel ........................................... 9.0 (229.1)
Recliner range, degrees ........................ 6.6° to 51.6°
Second Row, inches (mm)
Head room .......................................... 40.8 (1036.5)
Leg room ............................................ 37.7 (946.3)
Knee clearance ................................... 2.1 (53.5)
Shoulder room .................................... 56.4 (1433.4)
Hip room ............................................ 47.4 (1202.9)
Cargo, inches (mm)
Liftover height ........................................... 33.3 (847.3)
Minimum cargo width at liftgate opening ...... 44.0 (1118.5)
Maximum cargo width at liftgate opening ...... 46.5 (1182.2)
Minimum cargo height at liftgate opening ..... 32.6 (827.4)
Maximum cargo height at liftgate opening .... 33.1 (841.6)
Distance between wheelhouse interior trim ... 40.5 (1028.4)
Cargo Volume, cu. ft. (cu. m)
Behind rear seat ........................................... 32.1 (0.9)
With rear seat folded ..................................... 65.2 (1.8)
With front passenger and rear seats folded ..... 75.6 (2.1)
SAE interior volume, front .............................. 54.8 (1.55)
SAE interior volume, rear .............................. 47.7 (1.35)

Body/Chassis
Layout ..................... Longitudinal front engine, rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive
Construction ............ Steel unibody

Suspension
Front .......... Upper and lower “A” arms, coil springs, low-pressure gas-charged shock absorbers, stabilizer bar
Rear ........... Live axle, upper and lower trailing arms, track bar, coil springs, stabilizer bar, low-pressure gas-charged shock absorbers

Steering
Type ........................................... Power rack-and-pinion
Overall Ratio ............................... 17.36:1
Turning Diameter (curb-to-curb) ..... 36.3 ft. (11.1 m)
Steering Turns (lock-to-lock) ......... 3.42

Brakes
Power Assist Type ........................... 8 x 9 (204 x 230) tandem-diaphragm vacuum
Four-Wheel Anti-Lock (ABS) ............. Standard
Electronic Stability Program (ESP) .... Standard
Parking Brake Type .......................... Rear brake drum-in-hat
Front
Size and type ................................... 11.9 x 1.1 (302 x 28) vented rotor with 2.6 (66) single-piston floating caliper
Swept area (total front) ...................... 190.8 sq. in. (1231.0 sq. cm)
Rear
Size and type ................................... 12.44 x 0.47 (316 x 12) solid rotor with 1.9 (48) single-piston floating caliper
Swept area (total rear) ....................... 55.4 sq. in. (357.6 sq. cm)

Wheels
Type and Material .............................. Chrome-clad cast-aluminum
Size ................................................. 20” x 7.5”
Availability ........................................ Standard R/T Nitro, optional Nitro SLT

Tires
Size and Type .................................. P245/50R20, all season, black sidewall
Model .............................................. Goodyear Eagle HP
Revs/Mile (Km) ................................. 700 (1126)
Availability ........................................ Standard Nitro R/T, optional Nitro SLT

(d) Meets ULEV II emission standard in all 50 states.
(e) Meets Federal Tier 2, Bin 8 emissions requirements; marketed in California as an ULEV1 (Ultra-Low Emission Vehicle) under cleanest vehicle rules.

2008 Dodge Nitro R/T 4x4

La Cosa
El nuevo vehículo del Grupo Chrysler destinado al mercado es una mezcla de todoterreno, deportivo, familiar, todocamino... Tanto el jefe de diseño como el de marketing lo llamaron “cosa”, quizás por falta de otra definición.

Texto: Isaac Hernández

Fotos: IH/MercuryPress.com

Dodge es la marca del Grupo Chrysler que más vende, ocupando el quinto lugar en ventas en los EEUU. Los monovolúmenes y los “trucks” (camionetas y todo terrenos) ocupan el 19 y 16 por ciento del mercado respectivamente, mientras que los coches se llevan un 4 por ciento.

El Nitro nutrirá la oferta de Dodge este octubre en lo EEUU y la próxima primavera en Europa. “Queríamos separar esta cosa del resto del segmento,” dice John Opfer, Director de Diseño de Nitro. Los principales competidores del Nitro, son el Nissan Xterra y el Ford Maverick, según Dodge. La inspiración para el diseño vino del concepto Dodge M80, el chasis del Jeep Liberty.

El frontal del Nitro es como ningún otro. Nuestro R/T de pruebas viene con gigantescas llantas de aluminio cromado de 20” x 7.5” (con gomas Goodyear P245/50R20 VSB ASP), las más grandes del segmento, que, junto a los enormes pontones laterales, dan una sensación espectacular. El modelo base vendrá con llantas de 16 pulgadas y el SLT de 17”.

Lo que más llama la atención desde el lateral es la cintura alta, que junto con las llantas, hace que el Nitro parezca más bajo de lo que es. Mientras que el segundo montante es del color de la carrocería, el tercero, en negro, se camufla con los cristales tintados. Desde atrás el Nitro no parece tan original, recordandonos al diseño del Maverick.

Gracias al techo alto, y a un suelo relativamente bajo, es fácil entrar en el habitáculo, que en nuestro caso es de color negro y rojo con detalles en aluminio, para un bonito acabado. Las butacas, tapizadas en tela Yes Essentials, resistente a las manchas y absorbe-olores, son bastante cómodas y ofrecen un apoyo lumbar decente y ajuste en altura. El banco trasero se divide en 60/40 y se reclina. Ambas filas cuentan con buena altura al techo y espacio para las piernas.

El asiento delantero derecho se puede echar hacia delante, sirviendo de escritorio para el conductor o para ampliar el espacio de carga hasta 2.1m3. Detrás de la primera fila contamos con hasta 1.8m3 y detrás de la segunda hasta 0.9m3.

Nuestro coche viene con equipo de música Infinity de 360 vatios, con sobrecargo, de ocho altavoces y un subwoofer en el maletero, que roba algo de espacio de carga.
Los modelos SLT y R/T vienen con un suelo de maletero corredizo, “Load N’ Go”, que sale hasta 457mm hacia fuera para permitir la carga de hasta 181kg.
Cuando el coche se venda en Europa la próxima primavera, se ofrecerá con tres motores, un 2.8 VM diesel de raíl común, un 3.7 V-6 SOHC (210 CV a 5200rpm y 319 N-m a 4000rpm), y el 4.0 V-6 SOHC en el R/T (260 CV a 6000rpm y 359 N-m a 4200rpm). Los conductores americanos se tendrán que conformar sin la versión diesel.

La caja de cambios básica es manual de seis velocidades. Existen dos automáticas, de cuatro y cinco marchas, esta última la que viene en la version R/T, con caja transfer 4x4 a tiempo completo. Existe también una caja transfer a tiempo parcial disponible para los modelos de cambio manual.

La suspensión es de muelles helicoidales, independiente de brazos desiguales delante y de eje rígido y cinco enlaces atrás. Los frenos de disco con ABS (ventilados delante y sólidos atrás) vienen de serie y hacen un buen trabajo, sin demasiado hundimiento del frontal en las frenadas bruscas.

Aunque el parabrisas delantero está muy inclinado, el Nitro es un coche bastante alto y eso se nota al volante. Afortunadamente, el estabilizador electrónico (ESP) y el mitigador electrónico de vuelcos (ERM: Electronic Rollover Mitigation) vienen también de serie en todos los modelos, como también las cortinas de aire laterales para ambas filas y el sistema de control de presión de neumáticos.

El volante recubierto de cuero (en el modelo base es de plástico) se siente bien en las manos, y la dirección de cremallera se comporta con bastante fidelidad, aunque con una reacción un poco lenta al principio. El diámetro de giro es de 11,1 metros, con 3,42 giros de volante de un lado al otro.
El acelerador también es un poco lento en reaccionar cuando pisamos a fondo, pero en cuanto despierta el 4.0 se pone las pilas y a 98km/h en algo más de ocho segundos. Tardamos más o menos lo mismo en ir de 88 a 120 km/h. El motor tiene potencia de sobra, pero la caja de cambios no siempre la aprovecha. Viajando deprisa en zonas reviradas el cambio no se decide y el baile entre marchas puede ser mareante con lo que es recomendable usar el cambio semi-automático “auto-stick” y dejarlo en segunda.
Con sus 260 CV y 1883kg, es fácil excitarse y pisar demasiado, con el riesgo de perder puntos… Nosotros seguimos a un Chevy Camaro momentáneamente hasta los 153 km/h, cuesta arriba, antes de soltar, sin que el motor pareciera sufrir y sin que “la cosa” vibrara y se sintiera fuera de control. Tenemos que dar las gracias a que el R/T tiene suspensión deportiva evolucionada del modelo base con barra estabilizadora más gruesa, y muelles, amortiguadores y bushings mejorados.

A alta velocidad el Nitro no se siente muy ruidoso, pero tampoco silencioso, sobre todo por el rugido del motor V-6 y el ruido de los neumáticos sobre el asfalto.
El sistema 4x4 será más útil en días de lluvia, más para ayudarnos a mantenernos en el asfalto, que para llevarnos fuera de él, debido a una altura al suelo bastante reducida.

Nuestro coche venía equipado con el grupo de remolque opcional que permite hasta tirar de hasta 2268kg. El consumo oficial es de 13,1/9,8 litros/100km para el modelo 3.7 básico y de 13,8/11,2 litros/100km para nuestro R/T. Nuestro ordenador de abordo indicaba un consumo de 12 litros/100km a 105km/h en autopista, y una media total de 16 litros/100km durante la prueba.

Los precios, siempre para EEUU, comienzan en $19.885, para un modelo base 2x4. El R/T 4x4 empieza en $26.970, pero nuestro R/T de pruebas, con extras como el equipo de remolque, el techo solar, sistema de sonido, conexión de teléfono sin-manos, rueda de repuesto de 20”, radio por satélite y pintura Rojo Cristal Infierno Perlado sumaba otros $5.000 al total. ¡Es difícil de creer que sean $12.000 más que un Nitro básico!
El Nitro R/T no es tan divertido como los auténticos deportivos de la casa, como el Charger R/T, pero es práctico y definitivamente original. El modelo R/T puede llegar a ser caro, pero la tentación de la potencia de sus caballos y sus vatios, además de sus gigantescas ruedas, puede atraer a los más débiles de voluntad.

The full size spare wheel is optional.



The Thing ready to take off in San Diego.



Details, details, details. The door handles are from the Jeep Wrangler.



Nice interior for the R/T version, thanks to the aluminum panels hiding the hard plastics.



Thanks to a fold-flat front seat, the Nitro has a very practical cargo configuration.



The R/T sport suspension offers a big improvement over the base model. ESP is standard and necessary. Don't turn it off; this is a very tall car.