A couple of months ago, rumors surfaced online suggesting that Dodge would resurrect the Hornet moniker for a subcompact SUV based on the Alfa Romeo Tonale.
Fast forward to mid-August and Stellantis chief executive Carlos Tavares recently highlighted a slide during the automaker’s H1 financial results conference that shows Dodge will its first plug-in hybrid model in 2022. According to Mopar Insiders, this will be the 2023 Dodge Hornet.
Read Also: Dodge To Resurrect Hornet Moniker For An Alfa Romeo Tonale-Based SUV?
It is claimed that the new-age Hornet will be a successor to the Dodge Journey and will be built alongside the Tonale in Italy. It is also claimed that this vehicle will be equipped with a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder engine that in normal guise, pumps out 270 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. This same 2.0-liter four-cylinder is also found in the Jeep Wrangler 4xe PHEV to deliver a combined 375 hp and 470 lb-ft (637 Nm).
There’s a possibility that the Hornet could receive this same powertrain. Mopar Insiders also notes that the Alfa Romeo Tonale will be sold with a turbocharged 1.5-liter inline four-cylinder with mild-hybrid technology but it isn’t yet clear if this engine will also be offered in the Hornet.
The report goes on to state that production of the new Hornet will commence in mid-2022 and it could land in dealership showrooms as soon as the fall of 2022 as a 2023 model.
The Hornet name was first used in the auto industry for a compact model built by American Motors Corporation (AMC) between 1970 and 1977. Chrysler later got access to the name in 1987 after it absorbed AMC and unveiled the Hornet Concept back in 2006.
