The Dodge Hornet is a five-door, five passenger, all-wheel drive compact crossover SUV marketed by Dodge beginning with model year 2023. It is the brand's smallest vehicle — marketed exclusively in North America and manufactured in Italy as a rebadged variant of the Alfa Romeo Tonale.
Overview
Rear view (GT)
The Hornet was designed by Jeff Gale, whose father Tom Gale had designed the Dodge Viper,[2] and released in August 2022.[1]
Available in four trim levels, GT (entry-level), GT Plus (entry-level luxury trim), R/T (plug-in hybrid), and R/T Plus (plug-in hybrid luxury trim), the Hornet is the brand’s first new model in more than a decade, arriving three years after the discontinuation of the Journey mid-size crossover.[1] The Hornet is also manufactured at the same Italian factory as the Tonale, and is based on the same platform as the Jeep Compass (MP).
It is the first plug-in hybrid vehicle by the brand, and the R/T trim features dual electric motors. Unlike its luxury sibling, the Alfa Romeo Tonale, the Hornet will exclusively be an all-wheel-drive vehicle.[8] The Hornet also has different specifications, pricing, and features compared to the Tonale. According to Dodge, the Hornet R/T will have over 30 miles of range. Equipped with the 268-horsepower turbocharged engine in the GT trim, the Hornet can go from 0 to 60 mph in 6.1 seconds.[9]
In late 2022, Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis announced plans for a more powerful model, the Hornet GLH ("Goes Like Hell").[11] The Hornet R/T GLH was unveiled on March 22, 2023. It is a concept car that features visual upgrades, such as lowered springs, 20-inch wheels, special graphics and a louder exhaust.[12]
The Dodge Hornet, now branded as the Dodge Hornet R/T FC1-X, is to be raced in the Nitrocross series. The car is advertised to do 0-60 in only 1.4 seconds.[13]
After Fiat S.p.A. acquired Chrysler LLC in 2009, models of trucks and cargo vans were no longer designated as Dodge, but exclusively as Ram. A timeline of these models can be found here.
