Being a married guy, I’ve learned to admit when I’m wrong, even when I’m not (but I digress…).  It was just two months ago I wrote that gas at over three bucks a gallon is pretty much here to stay. Let me defend myself by saying I actually did some research to support such a claim. Really.

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The Nitro looks like a Scion xB, but is much more substantial.

So, what’s a buyer to do? Live large and hope prices stay low, or jump into a compact ute with limited towing and cargo capacity? Dodge is hoping their new mid-sized rig called Nitro might strike unsure shoppers as the perfect compromise. It has room for five, loads of features and they sweeten the deal with tough bulldog styling. Nitro looks like a snarly Scion xB.

This Dodge is much more substantial than the Scion though. It’s not a car-based cute ute. Underneath the squared-off body of the Nitro is the rugged chassis of the Jeep Liberty. But before you start thinking about tearing up the Rubicon in a Nitro know that this rig is not intended for tough off-roading. It can tow up to 5,000 pounds but considering the available 20 inch wheels, Nitro is really more about pulling street attitude.

Seems every vehicle these days has a signature feature. At the press event in San Diego, the Dodge folks proudly displayed Load ‘N Go. Basically, Nitro is the first SUV to have a huge sliding drawer in its trunk. The floor smoothly pulls 18 inches out of the cargo area for easy loading of heavy items. Just as important, it will support 400 pounds.

Tailgaters take note. Nitro gives you a handy pull-out seat complete with a hatch door rain shelter for parking lot barbeques. There’s even enough room under the sliding floor for a laptop computer to safely hide. Slick. Load ‘N Go is standard on SLT and R/T models.

Nitro has lots of other features depending how it’s ordered. They include a 110 volt outlet, an iPod jack, hands free Bluetooth phone connection plus a satellite navigation and entertainment system called MyGig. It allows music and photo downloads via CD or USB port to a 20 gig hard drive. Why photos? They can be displayed on screen sort of like the wallpaper on your computer. Nice touch.

Back to basics, Nitro shows Dodge is getting serious about improving interior quality. The gauge cluster looks similar to Nissan’s Altima design. There’s nice use of aluminum trim around the silky smooth climate control knobs. The center console is especially deep and useful. Interior materials are improved over past efforts though not best in class. Stain resistant YES Essential fabric, which is sort of a super Scotchguard, should keep the seats looking new over the years.

Nitro seats five. There is no third row option. The 60/40 split rear seats have room enough for three across and the backs recline. A contoured headliner carves out maximum head room.  Foot room is decent too because the Jeep Liberty platform that Nitro uses gets its wheelbase stretched by 4 inches.

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The front passenger seat folds flat so there’s room for long items. The back of that seat is molded plastic so it becomes a desk of sorts for the driver.

There are three Nitro models. The base SXT is distinguished by charcoal gray flared fenders. It comes with a standard 6-speed manual transmission and rear-wheel drive for a base price of $19,886 including destination. Add $1,510 for 4-wheel drive (part-time on manual transmissions, full-time on automatics).

Starting at $23,295 the SLT I not only gets body colored fenders and multiple interior upgrades but that slick Load ‘N Go system as well.  There’s also a standard 4-speed automatic transmission. Both SXT and SLT are powered by a 3.7 liter V-6 that delivers 210 HP and 235 lb-ft of torque. I’ll estimate these two models average around 17 MPG.

The third Nitro is the $25,970 R/T. It’s the version I like best. The engine gets bumped to a 4.0 liter mill pumping out 260 HP and 265 lb-ft of torque. The tranny becomes a 5-speed automatic that kicks down faster than the 4-speed in passing situations. A standard sport suspension with 20 inch wheels gets installed along with better seats with R/T embroidery.   

I did most of my driving in a mid-level SLT Nitro. Acceleration is fine though you won’t worry about whiplash. Remember, this is not a car-based rig. The ride quality of Jeep’s truck chassis isn’t quite as comfortable as some of the lighter duty competition. There’s also a little less precision in the handling department. Up around 75 MPH I heard some mild wind noise from the windshield pillars.  

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Nitro is the first SUV to have a huge sliding drawer in its trunk.

Nitro has a lot of standard safety equipment. All models get electronic stability control, electronic rollover mitigation and all-speed traction control. There’s anti-lock disc brakes all around along with a tire-pressure monitoring system. All that helps to keep the side curtain airbags from ever going off. Side torso protection is not available at this writing

The machismo Nitro turns a lot of heads. Stopping off for a slice of pie on my test drive from San Diego to Palm Springs, three groups of tourists pepper me with questions. Considering they span all ages, it bodes well for Dodge’s first mid-sized SUV.  Adding to the appeal. This truck can be ordered with just about every popular option imaginable (and a few exclusives as well).

Dodge has big plans for Nitro. It goes on sale in Europe where it gets a diesel engine. While its chassis dynamics may not be best-in-class, I’ll predict more than a few folks will be happy to sacrifice a little refinement to get the Nitro’s style. And have you have to figure that a few curious shoppers will slide into dealerships for a closer look at Load ‘N Go (pun intended). In the end it’s the features and style that will sell the Nitro.