2009 Dodge Nitro: What's New

Vehicle Overview
The Nitro, which is related to the Jeep Liberty, features Dodge’s distinctive crosshair grille and comes in base SE, midlevel SLT and high-performance R/T versions. Nitro competitors include the Nissa Xterra and Suzuki Grand Vitara.

New for 2009
The Doge Nitro no longer has a manual transmission option. The brakes and suspension have been retuned in an effort to improve ride and handling performance.

Exterior
Stylists apparently were aiming at a burly image for this SUV, as the wheels, grille, hood and even door handles appear almost one size too large for the rest of the body. Sharp, angular lines give the vehicle a muscular, chiseled look.

While the Liberty and Nitro share some common underpinnings, Chrysler made the Nitro longer and wider to distinguish the pair. The Nitro comes in at 178.9 inches long and 73.1 inches wide. This is about the same as the Xterra, while the Grand Vitara (176 inches long and 71.3 inches wide) is smaller.

• 16-inch steel wheels (SE)
• 16-inch aluminum wheels (optional on SE)
• 17-inch aluminum wheels (SLT)
• 20-inch aluminum chrome-clad wheels (R/T)
• Standard body-colored bumpers, moldings and (optional on the SE) fenders
• Standard power foldaway mirrors (standard heated mirrors on SLT and R/T)
• Optional sunroof

Interior
The Nitro seats five in two rows, and brushed-metal-look accents are used on the gearshift, door handles, climate controls and center console. The fold-flat rear bench is accompanied by a standard fold-flat front passenger seat. The second-row seats also recline for added passenger comfort. The Load N’ Go cargo floor (standard on the SLT and R/T) slides out 18 inches to help load and unload packages. The sliding cargo floor can hold 400 pounds and is made of heavy-duty plastic for easy cleaning. A reversible load floor is standard on SE models, and a compact utility table is optional.

The Nitro has 32.1 cubic feet of cargo space in the rear. With the backseat folded down that space increases to 65.2 cubic feet; this is nearly equal to the Xterra, but smaller than the Grand Vitara (68.9 cubic feet).

• Available cloth, stain-resistant cloth and leather upholstery
• Standard floormats and 12-volt power outlet
• Standard leather-wrapped steering wheel (standard on SLT and R/T)
• Optional rear entertainment system with gaming system and wireless headphones
• Optional hands-free communication system and remote start
• Optional voice-activated navigation and audio system (including touch-screen, voice commands, 30GB hard drive and navigation radio)

Under the Hood
Dodge offers a choice of engines and transmissions on the Nitro. There are two V-6s and two automatic transmissions offered (a manual transmission is no longer available). The suspension has an independent design up front and a five-link, solid-axle rear arrangement. As a performance driver would expect, the R/T version features firmer springs, shocks and other items to improve its cornering and traction. The Nitro can tow up to 5,000 pounds when properly equipped.

For 2009, the Nitro’s larger V-6 gets a retuned exhaust note, and all Nitros get a stiffer rear axle shaft. The shocks, springs, anti-roll bars and steering have all been retuned, offering (along with the stiffer axle) an improved ride, Dodge says.

• 210-horsepower, 3.7-liter V-6 with 235 pounds-feet of torque (SE and SLT)
• 260-hp, 4.0-liter V-6 with 265 pounds-feet of torque (R/T)
• Four-speed automatic transmission (SE and SLT)
• Five-speed automatic transmission (R/T)
• Rear- or part-time four-wheel drive
• Trailer tow package with heavy-duty engine cooling, power-steering cooler, receiver hitch and connector, and full-size spare tire

Safety
Safety features include:

• Standard dual-stage front airbags
• Standard side curtain airbags
• Standard antilock braking system
• Standard traction control
• Standard electronic stability system with rollover mitigation
• Standard smart key that immobilizes the engine in a theft attempt
• Optional parking assist that consists of a sonar-based warning system with audible and visual alerts