If the latest rumors turn out to be true, Dodge is apparently going to launch a new subcompact SUV dubbed the Hornet.
The Hornet name was last used on a hatchback concept that Dodge unveiled back in 2006. Last year, the car manufacturer renewed its trademark for the name and according to a report from Passione Auto Italiane, it will be used for a Dodge-branded variant of the Alfa Romeo Tonale.
Without citing any sources, the Italian publication claims that the Dodge Hornet will be produced at the same Pomigliano D’Arco assembly plant as the Tonale.
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Alfa Romeo Tonale Concept
Limited details about the Hornet are known but given its underpinnings, it is expected to be sold with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder driving the front wheels, with all-wheel drive also available. It’s also possible that a hybrid variant will be launched as Alfa Romeo will hybridize the Tonale.
While the Dodge Hornet will allegedly be built alongside the Alfa Romeo Tonale in Italy, it won’t be sold in Europe and will be launched solely in the U.S.
The report claims production of the Dodge Hornet will start in 12 months.
The Hornet name has been used for many years across the automotive industry and was first used to denote a compact model that American Motors Corporation (AMC) built between 1970 and 1977. Chrysler got access to the name in 1987 after it absorbed AMC before unveiling the aforementioned Hornet Concept in 2006. That model was originally given the green light for production but the project was eventually canceled.
