Americans, welcome to the all-new Dodge Hornet. Except it isn’t really all-new, is it? Even tired European eyes can spot the Alfa Romeo Tonale that’s lurking underneath. Still, the Dodge face and the aggressive hood work remarkably well on Alfa Romeo’s crossover, and the rear end has been given a nice full-width lightbar. Not a bad effort, all told.
Some of the press-release speak is a whole lot more cringeworthy, though. Dodge says that the Hornet “opens the gateway for enthusiasts to enter the Dodge Brotherhood of Muscle.” Yikes.
Dodge is also claiming “best in class performance” with the option of two different all-wheel-drive powertrains. The first to arrive will be the entry level Hornet GT, powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine that sends 265hp and 400Nm of torque through a nine-speed auto gearbox, with prices starting under $30,000 (P1.68 million).
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A couple of months later (arriving at dealers in spring 2023, apparently) will be the plug-in hybrid Hornet R/T with a 1.3-liter turbo engine that drives the front wheels connected to an electric motor that powers the rears. Combined it’ll produce 285hp, although a ‘PowerShot’ boost feature will give you 15sec of an extra 25hp and will drop the 0-60mph (97kph) time to 6.1sec. Not quite sure why you’d need that in a family crossover, but there we go.
The R/T also gets a six-speed auto gearbox, and a 15.5kWh lithium-ion battery means over 48km of all-electric range. All Hornets will get Koni shocks, Brembo brake calipers, and dynamic torque vectoring, with an additional Track Pack available on both the GT and the R/T. Useful for all those track days you’ll be doing in your plug-in crossover.
Anyway, inside you’ll get a nicely laid out Alfa-style interior, with a 12.3-inch digital dial display and a 10.25-inch central infotainment screen as standard. Impressive considering that entry level price guide.
That’s about all we know so far, although Dodge has also shown off the Hornet GT GLH Concept (the black car in the gallery above). That pays homage to the Dodge Omni GLH from the ’80s and shows off a number of the Direct Connection tuning parts that’ll be available for the Hornet, including a suspension lowering kit, an “unrestricted dual exhaust” and special 20-inch alloys.
Thoughts on the whole thing, Internet?
More photos of the Dodge Hornet 2023:
NOTE: This article first appeared on TopGear.com. Minor edits have been made.
