Photo: Stefan Baldauf / SB-Medien
Not related in the slightest to the multi-purpose vehicle concept revealed at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show, the Hornet is Dodge’s badge-engineered Alfa Romeo Tonale. Save for a few stylistic elements that include the hood and headlights, these compact utility vehicles are one and the same thing.
Caught under camouflage while testing in Michigan, the Hornet will premiere in August for the 2023 model year. Gifted with a Honda-esque front end that looks a little pedestrian compared to the Tonale’s face, the compact-sized utility vehicle is pictured on dime-a-dozen rubber shoes from Goodyear and generic wheels devoid of center caps for obvious reasons.
Likely finished in black, the prototype shows two half shafts out back, confirming all-wheel drive. We can further notice an exhaust muffler, but it’s nigh on impossible to tell if we’re dealing with a combustion-only powertrain or a plug-in hybrid. Considering that Alfa Romeo has confirmed these very options for their compact crossover, Dodge might follow suit.
The base specification is dubbed Q4 AWD, which flaunts a 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder engine shared with the Giulia and Stelvio, plus nine forward ratios for the automatic transmission. Of course, it’s the 9HP from ZF Friedrichshafen that’s widely known for slow shifts and noisy operation.
Alfa Romeo quotes a best-in-class standard horsepower rating of 256 ponies, along with 295 pound-feet (400 Nm) of torque. The GME T4 is further shared with the likes of the Cherokee, Grand Commander, Grand Cherokee 4xe, Wrangler and Wrangler 4xe, and a couple of Maseratis.
The plug-in option is referred to as PHEV Q4 AWD, and curiously enough for a contemporary sport utility vehicle, it features a six-speed tranny. A 15.5-kWh battery complements the 90-kW electric motor on the rear axle. Up front, you’ll find a 1.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that delivers 272 horsepower in combination with the aforementioned motor.
Alfa Romeo estimates more than 30 miles (48 kilometers) of range on a full charge, which is alright for urbanites. The big question is, what kind of pricing should we expect from Dodge? The Challenger is the most affordable of the bunch at $30,825 while the Durango is the most expensive at $36,995 before destination charge. Over at Alfa Romeo, make that $43,350 for the Giulia and $45,550 for the Stelvio. Given these circumstances, the all-new Hornet might start in the mid-$30,000 region. Or slightly lower if it's FWD as standard.
Likely finished in black, the prototype shows two half shafts out back, confirming all-wheel drive. We can further notice an exhaust muffler, but it’s nigh on impossible to tell if we’re dealing with a combustion-only powertrain or a plug-in hybrid. Considering that Alfa Romeo has confirmed these very options for their compact crossover, Dodge might follow suit.
The base specification is dubbed Q4 AWD, which flaunts a 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder engine shared with the Giulia and Stelvio, plus nine forward ratios for the automatic transmission. Of course, it’s the 9HP from ZF Friedrichshafen that’s widely known for slow shifts and noisy operation.
Alfa Romeo quotes a best-in-class standard horsepower rating of 256 ponies, along with 295 pound-feet (400 Nm) of torque. The GME T4 is further shared with the likes of the Cherokee, Grand Commander, Grand Cherokee 4xe, Wrangler and Wrangler 4xe, and a couple of Maseratis.
The plug-in option is referred to as PHEV Q4 AWD, and curiously enough for a contemporary sport utility vehicle, it features a six-speed tranny. A 15.5-kWh battery complements the 90-kW electric motor on the rear axle. Up front, you’ll find a 1.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that delivers 272 horsepower in combination with the aforementioned motor.
Alfa Romeo estimates more than 30 miles (48 kilometers) of range on a full charge, which is alright for urbanites. The big question is, what kind of pricing should we expect from Dodge? The Challenger is the most affordable of the bunch at $30,825 while the Durango is the most expensive at $36,995 before destination charge. Over at Alfa Romeo, make that $43,350 for the Giulia and $45,550 for the Stelvio. Given these circumstances, the all-new Hornet might start in the mid-$30,000 region. Or slightly lower if it's FWD as standard.
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