Photo: AscarissDesign / Instagram
The virtual artist tucked behind the AscarissDesign moniker on social media craves something Italian and cool; oh, sorry, American and crisp. Puns aside, no one can deny the sibling relationship between the Alfa Romeo Tonale and Dodge Hornet, right?
The Italian automaker Alfa Romeo has been in dire need of a third nameplate for a very long time – and Stellantis finally obliged and gifted them the new Tonale compact crossover SUV last year to serve as a refreshment alongside the facelifted Giulia sedan and Stelvio performance CUV. But it didn't come alone at the crossover party – especially since compact CUVs are the top-selling segment across many of the world's markets, including the United States.
Its modified platform (a version of the SCCS crossover architecture shared with the Jeep Compass) made way for the first Alfa Romeo with a plug-in hybrid powertrain that's good for 30 miles (48 km) of range. The company envisions its Tonale as a sporty crossover SUV, so it also comes with a short steering rack and torque vectoring for the range-topper Veloce model.
It's also very expensive – starting from $43k in the United States! No worries, though, as there's a quick solution to the conundrum. In North America, Dodge sells the Hornet compact crossover SUV starting with the 2023 model year, its first compact CUV since the Jeep Liberty-based Dodge Nitro was sent to greener pastures in 2011. It shares most of its body, powertrain, and interior with the Tonale. Plus, these mechanical twins are even built on the same production lines at Stellantis' Giambattista Vico factory in Pomigliano d'Arco, Naples, Italy.
But some will say the Dodge Hornet – currently available in GT (2.0 turbo) and R/T (1.3 Turbo PHEV) versions – is the better deal. For starters, its MSRP kicks off at less than $31k! Aside from that, it also has a different front end, plus unique head- and taillights, so it's badge engineering at its finest, frankly. However, that may still not be enough for some.
For those who think the little Dodge Hornet also merits an SRT version, it's safe to say that if the real world will not oblige, then the imaginative realm of digital car content creators has no problem fulfilling any dream wishes. More precisely, after the pixel master played a lot with the Tonale – making it a Quadrifoglio and even a GTA, a ritzy two-door Convertible SUV, and also a donor for restomods (166) or departed nameplates (Giulietta, Roadster) – he is now fiddling with the Dodge Hornet sibling to make it a worthy SRT.
And his CGI changes are subtle yet impactful – new fenders front and back, side skirts, a rear spoiler, more vents, plus slight bumper modifications. Now, there's just one question: should we imagine it sporting a V8 under the hood, a feistier PHEV assembly, or maybe even an inline-six?
Its modified platform (a version of the SCCS crossover architecture shared with the Jeep Compass) made way for the first Alfa Romeo with a plug-in hybrid powertrain that's good for 30 miles (48 km) of range. The company envisions its Tonale as a sporty crossover SUV, so it also comes with a short steering rack and torque vectoring for the range-topper Veloce model.
It's also very expensive – starting from $43k in the United States! No worries, though, as there's a quick solution to the conundrum. In North America, Dodge sells the Hornet compact crossover SUV starting with the 2023 model year, its first compact CUV since the Jeep Liberty-based Dodge Nitro was sent to greener pastures in 2011. It shares most of its body, powertrain, and interior with the Tonale. Plus, these mechanical twins are even built on the same production lines at Stellantis' Giambattista Vico factory in Pomigliano d'Arco, Naples, Italy.
But some will say the Dodge Hornet – currently available in GT (2.0 turbo) and R/T (1.3 Turbo PHEV) versions – is the better deal. For starters, its MSRP kicks off at less than $31k! Aside from that, it also has a different front end, plus unique head- and taillights, so it's badge engineering at its finest, frankly. However, that may still not be enough for some.
For those who think the little Dodge Hornet also merits an SRT version, it's safe to say that if the real world will not oblige, then the imaginative realm of digital car content creators has no problem fulfilling any dream wishes. More precisely, after the pixel master played a lot with the Tonale – making it a Quadrifoglio and even a GTA, a ritzy two-door Convertible SUV, and also a donor for restomods (166) or departed nameplates (Giulietta, Roadster) – he is now fiddling with the Dodge Hornet sibling to make it a worthy SRT.
And his CGI changes are subtle yet impactful – new fenders front and back, side skirts, a rear spoiler, more vents, plus slight bumper modifications. Now, there's just one question: should we imagine it sporting a V8 under the hood, a feistier PHEV assembly, or maybe even an inline-six?
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