Dodge sellers are on the point of welcome a brand new automobile to their showrooms. Coming this spring, the 2023 Hornet marks the model’s first entry into the subcompact SUV house.

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The Hornet is one other identify from Dodge’s previous. The moniker traces its roots again to a full-size automotive produced by the long-defunct Hudson model from 1951-1957. The primary-generation (1951-1954) Hornet gained prominence with most of the people as a personality voiced by the late Paul Newman within the Disney-Pixar film Automobiles.

In 2006, Dodge resurrected the Hornet identify for the primary time with an idea automotive that was to be offered completely in Europe. It was barely bigger than a Mini Cooper of the identical yr and its profile was paying homage to the Kia Soul, which might debut two years later.

The 2023 iteration will share a lot of its engineering with the 2024 Tonale from Stellantis’ upscale Alfa Romeo model. It’ll even be one of the highly effective autos in its class. The entry-level GT grade includes a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that produces 268 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. It groups with a 9-speed computerized transmission, and all-wheel drive is customary. The one different subcompact SUV that comes near this stage of energy is the Hyundai Kona N, which has a beginning worth greater than $5,000 greater than the Hornet.

Arriving as a 2024 mannequin is the Hornet R/T, which makes use of the drivetrain because the Tonale. A 1.3-liter four-cylinder fuel engine pairs with an electrical motor to provide a web complete of 288 horsepower and 383 pound-feet of torque. As with the GT, AWD is customary, however the R/T will get its energy to the pavement through a 6-speed computerized transmission. This mannequin will embrace a function Dodge calls “PowerShot,” which gives a brief enhance of 30 extra horsepower, which the corporate claims will produce a 0-60-mph acceleration time of simply 5.6 seconds.

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Different performance-related goodies for the Hornet embrace shock absorbers and brakes from Koni and Brembo, respectively; dynamic torque vectoring; and particular tweaks to the suspension and steering methods.

A 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster is customary, together with a ten.25-inch infotainment system powered by Stellantis’ Uconnect 5 suite. An accessible Harmon Kardon audio system gives 465 watts of output via 14 audio system and a subwoofer.

The 2023 Dodge Hornet GT begins at $29,995. The uplevel GT Plus, which incorporates leather-based upholstery, heated and ventilated entrance seats, sunroof, and embedded navigation system, will set you again $35,490. The producer vacation spot payment is $1,595. These fashions are slated to reach at sellers within the coming weeks. Pricing for the 2024 R/T shall be revealed nearer to its early summer time 2023 on-sale date.

CG Says:

Though Dodge may be very late to the subcompact SUV celebration, the Hornet appears like it is going to make a reasonably grand entrance. That a lot customary energy plus the promise of a well-tuned driving expertise makes us very desperate to spend time behind the wheel. The one actual disappointment, at the very least proper now, is the slightly nameless styling. We want designers would have modeled the manufacturing automobile after the 2006 idea, which might have given consumers a recent various to the likes of the Kia Soul.

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