Dodge Nitro given formal go-ahead

Industry experts and union officials have said the Nitro will be built in Toledo.

ANAHEIM, Calif. - DaimlerChrysler AG yesterday finally named what new Dodge sport-utility vehicle it will make for 2007, even though it declined to specify it would be built at the Toledo Jeep Assembly Plant.

The Dodge Nitro, the brand's first mid-sized SUV, will be produced, the company said at the media previews to the California International Auto Show here. The five-seat vehicle was introduced as a concept in February at the Chicago Auto Show, aimed at appealing to men.

Although the company wouldn't say where it will be made, auto industry experts and Toledo Jeep union officials have said the Nitro is one of the new vehicles to be made alongside the Toledo-built Jeep Liberty, starting next summer.