Stellantis last summer confirmed plans for the arrival of a Dodge plug-in hybrid in 2022, and now we know the vehicle will be a compact called the Hornet.
Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis on Tuesday confirmed plans for a summer launch of the Hornet during a presentation announcing Preston Patterson as a brand spokesperson, according to the Detroit Free Press which was first to report on the news.
“I think we’ve actually even said when we get back into the small compact space this summer when we launch the Hornet, we will have a [plug-in hybrid] or variant of that,” Kuniskis said.
No further details were mentioned but earlier rumors point to the Hornet being a twin to the recently revealed 2023 Tonale compact crossover from fellow Stellantis brand Alfa Romeo. The platform of the Alfa Romeo, and presumably the Dodge, is the same setup underpinning Jeep’s Renegade and Compass.
2023 Alfa Romeo Tonale
And the plug-in hybrid powertrain in the Tonale consists of a 1.3-liter turbocharged inline-4 driving the front wheels and an electric motor driving the rear pear, with the two power sources delivering a combined 272 hp. The Tonale has also been announced with a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 that makes 256 hp.
Interestingly, Dodge previously used the Hornet name for a hot hatch concept from 2006. The name dates to the Hudsons of the 1950s and was transferred to American Motors Corp. after the company was formed out of the 1954 merger of Hudson and Nash-Kelvinator. AMC was eventually acquired by Chrysler in 1987.
Dodge in 2022 will also show off a concept for an electric muscle car due in 2024. The electric muscle car will be based on one of four battery-electric platforms that Stellantis will use for future models across its 14 brands, including an electric Ram 1500 which will also be previewed by a concept this year.
Stay tuned.
Keyword: Compact Dodge Hornet plug-in hybrid coming this summer