Test Drive Dodge Nitro since 2006 SUV

Bull for horns

DaimlerChrysler seriously engaged in the revival of the legendary American brand Dodge. Following the successful hatchback Caliber and Charger sedan from the pen release the new Nitro crossover.
This is a serious car. I say so, because I saw Nitro in the rearview mirror, and swear that the policeman Porsche Cayenne looks less sinister than this city type crossover. As the first medium-size SUV for the Dodge Nitro brand reflects persuasiveness, the assertiveness and brightness of the Dodge brand, said Thomas Haush, the executive director of the Chrysler Group on international sales and marketing. These words are trusting the appearance of Nitro immediately convinces the seriousness of intentions.
 
According to the plan of Dodge, the appearance with a pronounced male character will be the main driving force on the way to the successful formation of Nitro in the city SUV market. This is a great idea, if we consider that most of the new SUV are addressed to metrosexuals, which are not very complaining of gross power in the exterior of the car. All his appearance speaks only one thing: I am a steep jeep, and the guy driving is still cooler. He is not from those who drive from the left row, rather, on the contrary, Nitro travels to the road to calculate her from losers. Yes, the creators of Nitro clearly did not care about the grace of forms and probably turned out how to enter an anvil in the execution of the facial part. Perhaps it succeeded, because the Nitro approaching in the rear view mirror resembles a long-range American Truck, which is not going to stop. Impressive spectacle, I confess you. Highly outstanding front bumper, isolated wheeled arches, a monumental grille of the radiator and frankly unfriendly headlights erase into powder all that the class is lower. The only thing he is missing is a huge chrome Kingurin with the bloodstanding victims and trails of violent displacement from the road. Horror? But you searched something similar?!
 
Must be looking at the photo, did you decide that Nitro is the Giant type of Chevy Tahoe or Audi Q7? I do not want to dissuade you, but Nitro is less. It is 166 mm shorter than VW Touareg and only 84 mm longer than the new Honda CR-V. This means that it can drive in the city and do not have serious difficulty with parking, because, having 20-inch wheels and clearance of 210 mm, this SUV will easily overcome any border, and in winter it can be developed, clearing the courtyard from snowflowers. In addition, in black, with black tinting and xenon in a circle nitro, it would be nicely watched as the Mercedes S 500 accompaniment machine. A type of what is needed! But the dimensions are more civil
 
The true dimensions of the Dodge Nitro are aware of when you arrange at one of five places in the cabin. For some reason, Fiat Punto and Suzuki SWIFT are remembered, which are much larger than it seems when you look at them outside. So with Nitro it is different. He is a giant outside, but you expect more from the internal dimensions. Due to the low roof, the tall people are forced to hold onto the handrails firmly, otherwise when driving around Ughaba can be screaming along the top of the top. Those who need more space in width, will miss the lateral support of the chairs, and in the back row with comfort only two. But, pairing dodge, the seats can be ordered with dust and dirt-absorbing upholstery yes essentials and fearlessly eat Bigmaki, splashing the dietary cola and sour-sweet sauce on the salon, the benefit is hard on and on the touch plastic on the instrument panel and doors are indifferent to this kind of pollution . Practically, but not too appetizing in appetizer. The car is not cheap, modern, and who said that real men are deprived of feelings of the beautiful? Why not make plastic upholstery in the cabin more noble, and the skin on the steering wheel is less than slippery? After all, the same designers have been trying to make the salon attractive: Fashionable wells of the instrument panel, round door knobs, a pretty block climate management. Yes, and ergonomics at a decent level. But the quality of finishing materials is typically American. And this typical American gray plastic color is boring. But, again parides Dodge, Nitro has a mygig information system. On color (65 thousand colors), the 6.5-inch display displays data on the operation of the audio system, climate installation, navigator, and in addition, the multimedia complex has a 20-gigabyte hard disk, which can be downloaded via USB port, video and photo files. The reverse passengers are available entertainment system (VES). What else? To facilitate the load / unloading of the luggage compartment to the standard versions of the SXT and R / T versions, the Loadn GO system is the retractable floor of the luggage compartment. The panel is extended by 457 mm and can withstand 181 kg of boot. So shipping boxes with ammunition will now be easier
 
So we came to the main question: What can Nitro on the road? On what path did the developers moved a typical American family universal of increased passability with a roll with suspension and sluggish brakes or took into account the requests of the European market? Well, let's start with the most accessible version with a 2.8-liter turbodiesel and a 6-speed manual box.
 
At idle, Diesel VM Motori works as it should be a thai-year-old diesel. His voice is clearly heard in the cabin, and the vibrations are noticeable on the steering wheel and the gearbox lever. But we do not forget that this is a real male car, and therefore, the tenderness is not a place here. And the truth is to disperse the diesel nitro to the auto speed, it is necessary to actively paint the mechanics lever and to adjust the optimal moments of switching, which in case of insufficient selectivity of the switching mechanism and the narrow operating range of the 177-power engine delivers little pleasure. In addition, in the mechanical version of Nitro is deprived of a leisure platform left legs! Does the Americans completely forgot about the manual box? In the case of Nitro, it is better and for us to think about the machine, since with him a diesel nitro gets to the first hundred for a second faster version with MCP.
 
Gasoline engines are offered two: both 6-cylinder, with a volume of 3.7 and 4 liters. In a pair, only an automatic 4-range transmission is not very smart and smart. Why not install a more modern 5-range ACP on Nitro? I ask the question to engineers. The answer is classic: such a transmission is more expensive, and it was important for us to keep the cost of the car on an attractive level for the consumer. It's nice that Dodge takes care of our wallet, but then why can a diesel version be equipped with modern and, according to engineers, expensive automata? Apparently, for more powerful gasoline engines, the number of gears does not play a decisive role, because some thought of the box-machine does not interfere with the Nitro with a 4-liter engine accelerate to 100 km / h for 8.5 s. Still, in it 260 hp and 360 nm record for grade compact SUV! And what kind of sound! Threatening, unfriendly rock, carrying us during the time of the legendary Dodge Charger such Nitro justifies the expectations of even sophisticated drivers. But as soon as the road begins to vil, the entire burdens of the brisk motor dissolves in the imposing suspension. Here is a good advice: before you decide to turn the steering wheel, reset the speed. The controllability of Nitro is far from passenger, and even if you reproach to it from CR-V, actively use the brake pedal, good with a slowdown in Nitro everything is in order.
 
Handling, far from exemplary, is a fee for the comfort of driving. Nitro is not very convincing in turns, but in a straight line goes like rails. And the smoothness of the stroke at the height! Ughabs, potholes, the sleeping police are all nipple. Even if you move from the asphalt road and set Nitro heat, the suspension will remain unshakable. Gorgeous energy intensity!
 
And what can Nitro on off-road? I'm afraid a little. In the standard modes, the crossover uses the rear wheels only, but you can turn on the 4WD mode, and then through a handout unit up to 50% of the torque will be transmitted to the front wheels. For a light off-road, this is enough, but the mastering of virgin is better to leave this SUV. However, most of the life of the Dodge Nitro will hold on asphalt roads, where he and place.
Specifications Dodge Nitro
Dimensions, mm 4584x1856x1773
Base, mm 2763
Curb weight, kg 1510
Engine type gasoline 6-cylinder
Working volume, cube. CM 3952.
Max. Power, hp / rpm 260/6000
Max. Moment, nm / rpm 360/4000
Transmission Automatic 4-Range
Max. Speed, km / h 202
Tires 235/65 ZR17
Acceleration time 0-100 km, from 8.5
Fuel consumption (medium), l / 100 km 11.3
Tank volume, l 74
 
Stanislav Goncharenko
Photo by the author
 
 
 
 
 

A source: Magazine "Autopanoram"