The Dodge Hornet R/T has joined the Brotherhood of Muscle and the process has been documented in "A New Breed" video that the carmaker has just made public. A 30-second version of the 60-second video will run across television and digital media, trying to convince viewers to take a plug-in hybrid Dodge Hornet home.
Dodge unveiled the Hornet R/T plug-in hybrid back in July as the brand's first electrified performance model. It is set in motion by a 1.3-liter turbocharged engine with a belt-type starter generator instead of a regular starter and alternator.
The internal combustion engine drives the front wheels, while the electric motor mounted on the rear axle, delivering 90 horsepower on its own, rounds up the all-wheel drive setup with torque vectoring. It is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission, even though the nine-speed ZF-sourced transmission of the Hornet GT would have probably been a better idea.
The system delivers a total of 288 horsepower and 383 lb-ft (520 Nm) of torque, with the additional 30 horsepower coming for a limited amount of time from the PowerShot function for a run from 0 to 60 mph (0-97 kph) in 5.6 seconds.
A 15.5-kWh lithium-ion battery brings along more than 30 miles (48 kilometers) of all-electric range. The car is equipped with Brembo brakes and a dual-stage suspension for extra overall dynamics compared to other versions in the Hornet lineup.
The brand advertises the Hornet R/T plug-in hybrid as being the quickest and most powerful compact utility vehicle (CUV) in the segment in the marketing campaign developed by Dodge in partnership with Glue-IQ.
The PHEV Dodge Hornet R/T shows up in the 60-second "A New Breed" video. A 30-second version will be on TV and digital media. The Hornet R/T originally let viewers think it plays the part of the villain, alarming the Brotherhood of Muscle. Why would the V8-powered muscle cars be alarmed by a 1.3-turbocharged powered car with hybrid tech?
The members of the brotherhood race to assess the threat and decide if the Hornet R/T is friend or foe. But a single look at it, and they realize they must have it on their team, because it is "ready to swarm, ready to sting, ready to electrify."
Those who get convinced by the either one-minute or 30-second video can go build their own Hornet R/T on dodge.com. The plug-in hybrid Dodge Hornet is available in two variants, so customers will have to pay $40,935 for the R/T and $45,935 for the R/T Plus.
The latter gets several extra features, such as the eight-way power adjustment for the front passenger seat and full leather upholstery covering the ventilated front seats and the rear ones, and a sunroof. Future owners will also benefit from the presence of a Harman Kardon sound system. The tailgate features power opening.
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