'07 Nitro Build and Price

[torobud]

Its up on Dodge's website - of course it is all pre-release so nothing is set in stone..

My R/T 4x2 was loaded up pretty good for around 27K...

[loki]

just making sure...this is just a badge job on a liberty, right?

[04monteintimidator]

i think its a commander... but uh... DCX will get away with it since they have partnerships with MB... so the magazines love them... if GM pulled this... theyd get tossed into the frying pan... not that they wouldnt deserve it... but still...

[Intrepidation]

It's based on a stretched version of the liberty platform. It's no more a badge job than the Aura is a badge job of the Malibu.

[RJB]

As I said in a previous story on here, there have been a bunch of test mules running around Auburn Hills. But the funny story I will repeat is when I saw the Nitro on the shoulder of southbound I-75 with a group of engineers all on their phones scrambling around literally scratching their heads as smoke is coming out of this Nitro mule!! I was laughing out loud it was too funny!! But all in all not a bad looking vehicle.

[Intrepidation]

As I said in a previous story on here, there have been a bunch of test mules running around Auburn Hills. But the funny story I will repeat is when I saw the Nitro on the shoulder of southbound I-75 with a group of engineers all on their phones scrambling around literally scratching their heads as smoke is coming out of this Nitro mule!! I was laughing out loud it was too funny!! But all in all not a bad looking vehicle.

That is pretty funny, but that's what prototypes are for: work out the bugs.

[91z4me]

The Nitro really excites me. It has a great balanced proportions and a tough rugged look. I hope it will pull in a lot of sales for Dodge, and get them to refresh the Liberty as it is looking a little old.

Still hoping for a M80 truck off of this chassis.

[irengineer]

New liberty next MY. Nitro is a really nice Equinox/Rav4 competitor. The pre-pro dashes that I've seen needed a little fine-tuning, but I'm sure they'll be fine. The RT will be nice, and they are going to give the CDI diesel another shot. All in all, it's a great little suv. And I'm not just saying that because I worked on it

[91z4me]

New liberty next MY.  Nitro is a really nice Equinox/Rav4 competitor.  The pre-pro dashes that I've seen needed a little fine-tuning, but I'm sure they'll be fine.  The RT will be nice, and they are going to give the CDI diesel another shot.  All in all, it's a great little suv.  And I'm not just saying that because I worked on it

Any news if there will be another version of the Nitro/Liberty? AKA a Chrysler version of the affor mentioned M80?

[sciguy_0504]

The Nitro seems like it is an awesome small SUV. It looks great, IMO.

[irengineer]

Any news if there will be another version of the Nitro/Liberty?  AKA a Chrysler version of the affor mentioned M80?

Not as far as I know. I don't work on it anymore though.

R/T in black is VERY sexy...

[ocnblu]

With designs like these, I am starting to take after my maternal grandfather. He was a Chrysler man (for cars at least) for decades. The Nitro, while its greenhouse reminds me of the same "bunker" style as an H3, looks great. An R/T is out of my reach, however. A part-time 4WD SXT optioned out like I'd want is around $26.4k. That's $400 more than my Colorado was 2 1/2 years ago. Not bad, but I wouldn't get an employee discount with a Dodge. Also, Mopar seems to have lower mpg ratings than others in class, especially GM. Still, the Nitro has some cool features, besides the macho looks... that slide-out load floor, for example, is brilliant.

The M80 was such a cool looking little pickup truck. That was a major missed opportunity for Mopar, imo.

Edited May 2, 2006 by ocnblu

[Intrepidation]

With designs like these, I am starting to take after my maternal grandfather.  He was a Chrysler man (for cars at least) for decades.  The Nitro, while its greenhouse reminds me of the same "bunker" style as an H3, looks great.  An R/T is out of my reach, however.  A part-time 4WD SXT optioned out like I'd want is around $26.4k.  That's $400 more than my Colorado was 2 1/2 years ago.  Not bad, but I wouldn't get an employee discount with a Dodge.  Also, Mopar seems to have lower mpg ratings than others in class, especially GM.  Still, the Nitro has some cool features, besides the macho looks... that slide-out load floor, for example, is brilliant.

The M80 was such a cool looking little pickup truck.  That was a major missed opportunity for Mopar, imo.

You gotta hand it to Chrysler for being daring when it comes to their designs. I guess you can only do so much with an SUV shape, still the Nitro (Especially in black) looks sweet. My family has always been mopar mostly (with a few GMs here and there), and it looks like it will stay that way. I agree the M80 woulda been cool. I think the Rampage was sweet too.

[ocnblu]

Now see I disagree with ya there. While the Hemi makes a Ridgeline look even more citified, the FWD-biased driveline completely turned me off.

[Intrepidation]

Now see I disagree with ya there.  While the Hemi makes a Ridgeline look even more citified, the FWD-biased driveline completely turned me off.

I admit to that, but it's deffitely innovative, and it looks cool. If it had a beefy AWD system as an option it would be better. I find it funny/impressive they were able to make a hemi FWD nevertheless

[Croc]

Mopar has always been big on style. Back in the day, Chryslers were big on style and short on service...the second part's changed for the better these days, but thankfully the focus on style and design hasn't.

[ocnblu]

Agreed. Starting with the '55 Chrysler 300 (before that they were kinda unremarkable except for the Airflow, imo), they've had some really compelling designs over the years. Of course, they kinda lost their way in the early 60's and again with the K-car era, but they've recovered.

I hope the next Liberty looks like a bigger, more capable Patriot. I see so many Cherokees on the road still, I know the Liberty was a bit of a misstep for Jeep (although the flat-hood Renegade looks decent.)