Behind the wheel: High on style

Bold, aggressive styling, lots of attitude, brilliant colours, but no real substance.

As a mid-size SUV pitched against Ford Escape, Nissan Xterra and Toyota RAV4, the Dodge Nitro R/T truly disappoints. It’s slow to get off the block. And when it does gather some kind of speed, you wish it hadn’t. The vehicle staggers when you romp on the throttle and try to do some quick manoeuvring.

Off road too, the Nitro’s performance is nothing to shout about. That could be why Consumer Reports ranked it among the 11 worst cars of 2008 in its annual ratings. Hot rod looks and storage flexibility apart, the only thing that Nitro has going for it is its integrated audio, navigation entertainment and hands-free communication system.

The MyGIG Multimedia Infotainment System has the capability of downloading photos and music to a hard drive from a CD, DVD or USB memory device. All these functions can be controlled through voice commands and utilising a touch screen. The Video Entertainment System (VES) enables rear passengers to enjoy movies, music and external audio/video devices.

But will these attributes be enough to impress a discerning buyer who’s spoilt for choice? I have my doubts.

The lowdown

Engine: 4 litre V6

Thumbs up:

• Aggressive styling
• Integrated audio, navigation, entertainment and hands-free communication system

Thumbs down:

•  Poor pick up and handling

125,000 Dirhams is the price of the dodge nitro r/t