Rather than emphasizing its performance, Senior VP of Chrysler Group
Design, Trevor Creed brought attention to its styling in the press release: "The Dodge Nitro concept is brimming with character; it evokes emotion through its rugged styling and dominant stance."
Why bother making a rugged truck, when you can simply make it look rugged? Works for me, and likely it will work for thousands of other young men like me who want a tough looking SUV but aren't really concerned with its specific ground clearance numbers. Hey, even Jeep is going the way of Street UVs with its upcoming Compass and Patriot models, based off of the Caliber.
Dodge execs can't get enough of referring to its Nitro (and the brand as a whole) as "bold" and "powerful," and it's hard to argue as the grille is flashing some massive chrome on the wide crosshairs while the anodized red paint scheme does a nice job of balancing night life chic with industrial understatement. Speaking of industrial, the chunky gear shifter and HVAC knobs in black with satin silver trim look like finished products, not to
mention practical and easy to use. That same satin silver finish can be found on the centre stack, door handles, engine vents and even on the wheels, which are cast aluminum. Just a note to the designers: you might want to tone down the silver on the centre stack as its overkill. You know, too much of a good thing.
From a broader perspective, Senior Designer Greg Howell drew attention to the short front overhang combined with the 20-inch wheel package and oversized fenders, giving the truck an aggressive stance. Also on the leading edge of design are the narrow, gun slit DLOs (day light openings, or shape of the windows), which achieve a planted 70:30 proportion with the body panels, and the windows also get a heavy tint for a customized appearance. On the convenience side, the two-box shape maximizes the Nitro's interior space, aiding its functional and flexible cargo capacity. Also assisting organization are a series of modular storage bins in the rear hatch area, the usual folding rear seats and a sliding cargo floor to help load large items.
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| Even Jeep is going the way of Street UVs with its upcoming Compass and Patriot models, based off of the Caliber. (Photo: DaimlerChrysler) |
Why bother making a rugged truck, when you can simply make it look rugged? Works for me, and likely it will work for thousands of other young men like me who want a tough looking SUV but aren't really concerned with its specific ground clearance numbers. Hey, even Jeep is going the way of Street UVs with its upcoming Compass and Patriot models, based off of the Caliber.
Dodge execs can't get enough of referring to its Nitro (and the brand as a whole) as "bold" and "powerful," and it's hard to argue as the grille is flashing some massive chrome on the wide crosshairs while the anodized red paint scheme does a nice job of balancing night life chic with industrial understatement. Speaking of industrial, the chunky gear shifter and HVAC knobs in black with satin silver trim look like finished products, not to
 |
| Dodge execs can't get enough of referring to its Nitro as "bold" and "powerful," and it's hard to argue as the grille is flashing some massive chrome. (Photo: DaimlerChrysler) |
From a broader perspective, Senior Designer Greg Howell drew attention to the short front overhang combined with the 20-inch wheel package and oversized fenders, giving the truck an aggressive stance. Also on the leading edge of design are the narrow, gun slit DLOs (day light openings, or shape of the windows), which achieve a planted 70:30 proportion with the body panels, and the windows also get a heavy tint for a customized appearance. On the convenience side, the two-box shape maximizes the Nitro's interior space, aiding its functional and flexible cargo capacity. Also assisting organization are a series of modular storage bins in the rear hatch area, the usual folding rear seats and a sliding cargo floor to help load large items.