The Dodge Nitro compact sport utility vehicle is positioned below the Dodge Durango SUV and offers a step up from the smaller Dodge Caliber hatchback. It is based on the Jeep Liberty (featuring Dodge's distinctive crosshair grille) and shares most of its underpinnings like the uni-body construction, and basic front and rear suspension. Nitro has a 108.8-inch wheelbase, it is 4.4 inches longer than the Liberty, and half an inch longer than the Mazda CX-7. Its large engines are reminiscent of those in traditional SUVs. Nitro is available in Base, SLT and high-performance R/T versions. A part-time four-wheel-drive system is standard with the manual transmission; a full-time four-wheel-drive system will be offered later in the model year for models equipped with automatic transmission.