Photo: Kolesa
Dodge is getting ready to re-enter the small crossover segment with a new product that will be called the Hornet. As everyone and their neighbor knows, it will be a rebadged version of the Alfa Romeo Tonale, a very risky move approved by Stellantis.
Set to debut this summer, the all-new Dodge Hornet will not offer any surprises in terms of design, construction, and likely engine family. Thus, starting with the first one, it will look like a rebadged Alfa Romeo Tonale, with a few changes meant to help it identify as a Dodge.
Curious how it will look once the wraps come off, the peeps at Kolesa have imagined it with a rather Charger-ish flair up front. Mind you, the headlights, or their shape at least, and grille appear to be very similar to the ones of the real car, while a healthy dose of ‘trust us, bro’ goes into the styling of the bumper. The same can be said about the taillights and rear bumper, but if anything, the tailgate, positioning of the rear license plate, and even the reflectors reflect reality.
On the inside, it shouldn’t be completely different than the Tonale. However, in an attempt to make it more affordable, as Alfa Romeo is considered a premium player in the United States, gunning for the likes of Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Cadillac, and other brands, they will likely offer it with poorer quality materials, and maybe smaller screens, and not that many technology, comfort, and safety gizmos.
Powering it should be a plug-in hybrid assembly, likely the same one used in the Tonale, where the turbo’d 1.3-liter mill and electric motor develop a combined 272 hp. Still, the Hornet might be less powerful than its Italian cousin. A battery-electric option of the Tonale is hinted at, so there is a small chance that the Hornet could go down this route too. We should find out more about it when it premieres, this August.
Curious how it will look once the wraps come off, the peeps at Kolesa have imagined it with a rather Charger-ish flair up front. Mind you, the headlights, or their shape at least, and grille appear to be very similar to the ones of the real car, while a healthy dose of ‘trust us, bro’ goes into the styling of the bumper. The same can be said about the taillights and rear bumper, but if anything, the tailgate, positioning of the rear license plate, and even the reflectors reflect reality.
On the inside, it shouldn’t be completely different than the Tonale. However, in an attempt to make it more affordable, as Alfa Romeo is considered a premium player in the United States, gunning for the likes of Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Cadillac, and other brands, they will likely offer it with poorer quality materials, and maybe smaller screens, and not that many technology, comfort, and safety gizmos.
Powering it should be a plug-in hybrid assembly, likely the same one used in the Tonale, where the turbo’d 1.3-liter mill and electric motor develop a combined 272 hp. Still, the Hornet might be less powerful than its Italian cousin. A battery-electric option of the Tonale is hinted at, so there is a small chance that the Hornet could go down this route too. We should find out more about it when it premieres, this August.
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