If you want a vehicle that will turn heads, take a look at Dodge this year.

Parked somewhere out on the showroom floor will be the newest Dodge, the hunky looking Nitro. It's a well-equipped small SUV with a personality and character that is all its own: Macho all the way.

If you think it looks retro, you can be excused. I think it resembles the old Dodge "Power Wagon" of years ago -- along with some styling tricks from the old Dodge trucks of the 1930s and 1940s.

	The 2007 Dodge Nitro. Click photo for larger image.

Based on a popular concept car introduced at the Chicago International Auto Show a year or two ago, the Nitro is decidedly not a retro product, however. It has state-of-the-art technology, contemporary turns on old Dodge features and more to offer than many smaller SUVs.

Nitro will come in three models: Nitro, Nitro SLT and Nitro R/T. The Nitro and SLT are powered by a 3.7 liter, 210 horsepower V-6, and the R/T has a new 4.0 liter, 255 horsepower V-6. Fuel economy figures are unavailable. There is one manual transmission offered and two automatic transmission models.

One of my favorite features is the Load N Go cargo floor on the SLT and R/T model. Standard features include electronic stability control, anti-lock brakes, electronic roll mitigation and side-curtain air bags.

The base price will range from $19,885 for the entry level to $27,630 for the top-of-the line R/T.