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 Fiat Grande Punto Bigger, better, safer - that's the new Fiat Grande Punto! Richly equipped from entry-level, it should teach its rivals - the Renault Clio III in particular - a thing or two.
| On the road Dodge Nitro: its dynamite! The first compact off-roader from the American marque with the ram logo, the Dodge Nitro has been specially designed for the European market. This leisure vehicle with its high-class finish should be available from dealers in 2007.
To Europeans, Dodge is synonymous with monster pick-ups like the Ram or Dakota, whose size and fuel consumption are incompatible with current customs on the Old Continent. However, Dodge's image may well be set to change in the coming months and years. In effect, the production of the Nitro, a compact SUV with a high-class finish, has just been confirmed by the Chrysler Group at the Anaheim Auto Show in California. Commercialisation of the Dodge brand will be officially launched in March 2006, at the next Geneva Motor Show. Some people consider the gamble of the DaimlerChrysler Group to be particularly daring: although Dodge is of course a leading marque in the United States, even outstripping Chrysler, the manufacturer still has to prove itself in Europe. This may explain the cheeky name of this muscular SUV Nitro as in “nitroglycerine”...
Based on the concept car presented in February at the Chicago Motor Show, the 4.54 m-long Nitro is bulky yet elegant, cube-shaped but with taut lines. This stylish and dramatic SUV boasts the brand's distinctive cross-shaped grille. Beneath the bonnet, a 210 hp 3.7-litre V6 engine and permanent all-wheel drive, taken from the group's organ bank, will be in charge of propelling the Nitro's 1,867 kg up to 175 kph (108 mph). The versatile 5-seater Dodge Nitro is designed to attract customers “seeking a vehicle with distinctive styling, sporty performance and a very flexible interior”. Diesel engines - essential for a vehicle's success on the European market - are also on the agenda.  | |||||||||||
