The 2023 Dodge Hornet Compact SUV Buzzes With Performance

Measured against a Scat Pack, Hellcat, or Demon muscle car, the 2023 Dodge Hornet's 265 horsepower won't register as anything to get excited about. But compare this new compact crossover with its exceedingly sedate competition, and it's clear that Dodge is doing things differently as it launches a long-overdue entry in the most popular segment in the U.S.

The class favorites—the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, and Nissan Rogue—all subscribe to a common formula: standard front-wheel-drive and just enough power to keep from getting run over while merging onto a freeway. When it goes on sale in December 2022, Dodge's base model, the Hornet GT, will buck convention with standard all-wheel-drive and enough grunt for a claimed 6.5-second 0-60 time. For speed junkies, there's also a catalog of performance parts that won't void the warranty and a quicker plug-in-hybrid model.

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A Base Model That's Hardly Basic

We should note that Dodge is saying the Hornet GT's Hurricane4 turbocharged 2.0-liter I-4 which pairs with a nine-speed automatic, will make 295 lb-ft of torque andat least265 horsepower. Don't be surprised if a few more horses show up for production. That level of performance and all-wheel-drive traction won't come free, though. While the RAV4 and CR-V start around $28,000, the cheapest Hornet will cost around $31,500. Dodge justifies that number by also loading its offering with premium standard equipment, including a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a 10.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keeping assistance, rear parking sensors, and dual-zone climate control.

We'll have to drive a Hornet GT before declaring it a value compared to similarly powerful competitors, but the base price comes in about $4,000 below that of the smaller, racier Hyundai Kona N and more than $8,000 under the price of the Mazda CX-50 with the optional 256-hp turbo engine.

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Plug In to Power Up

For an extra $10,000, Hornet buyers can step up to the R/T model with a plug-in hybrid powertrain promising at least 285 horsepower and 383 lb-ft of torque. The R/T, which goes on sale in the spring of 2023, drives its front wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission using a turbocharged 1.3-liter I-4 with a 44-horsepower starter/generator. A 121-horsepower electric motor turns the rear wheels. The 15.5-kilowatt-hour battery pack allows for more than 30 miles of pure electric driving, while Dodge's PowerShot feature attempts to lure gearheads with gas in their veins into opening their minds to electrification.

With the tap of a steering-wheel paddle, PowerShot unleashes an additional 25 horsepower for 15 seconds at a time, trimming the R/T's 0-60 time by a full second, down to a claimed 5.1-second sprint. Dodge is also crowing that the R/T is capable of 0.90 g of lateral grip and is driving home the plug-in's performance positioning with 18-inch wheels, Brembo four-piston front brake calipers, and dual exhaust. A Track Pack, available on both the GT and the R/T, adds 20-inch wheels, two-mode electronically adjustable dampers, and Alcantara seats.

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The Compact Crossover That Goes Like Hell

While a Hellcat V-8 isn't in the cards, Dodge's fascination with the underworld lives on in the Dodge Hornet GT GLH concept. Those three additional letters stand for "Goes Like Hell" and invoke the 1980s Dodge Omni GLH—a hot hatch modified by none other than Carroll Shelby himself for Dodge. The modern incarnation of the GLH sports a lowering kit that drops the Hornet one inch, an unspecified power increase, a sport dual exhaust, 20-inch wheels, a unique rear valence, and GLH graphics.

These parts will be offered as Direct Connection aftermarket parts, and—when installed by an authorized dealer—won't void the car's warranty. It also seems likely that Dodge will eventually offer a similar package direct from the factory.

The Italian Job

If photos of this new small SUV trigger déjà vu or the specs sound familiar, that's because the Hornet is a 2023 Alfa Romeo Tonale wearing a Dodge mask. These compact crossovers offer the same powertrains, use the same bodies, and come out of the same Italian factory. More of this badge engineering seems inevitable if Stellantis is going to keep Dodge, Alfa, and the dozen other automotive brands under its care well fed with new products.

At the price point and performance being advertised, it looks like Dodge is on the winning side of this particular parts-sharing arrangement, but we're left wondering: Is the Hornet a discount luxury crossover, or is the Alfa Romeo Tonale a Dodge in a tailored suit? We'll need more time with both vehicles to answer that.

If there's one thing to kvetch about, it's that the blunt front-end styling of the Charger and Durango look out of place transplanted on the softer lines of the Hornet compact crossover. Oh, and we feel cheated that this new SUV looks nothing like the excellent 2006 Dodge Hornet concept.

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Can the Hornet Make Compact Crossovers Cool?

Compact crossovers aren't wildly popular because they elevate your street cred. These small utility vehicles end up in millions of American garages every year because they're relatively affordable, efficient, and readily swallow a couple of car seats and a stroller. For Dodge, that reality is both an opportunity and an obstacle. There are relatively few options for buyers who need an affordable, practical vehicle and want something that's fun to drive. Maybe there's a reason that's the case. Is there a market for a more expensive, less efficient utility vehicle that's designed around performance and aimed at the masses? Only time will tell.