That is Dodge’s first electrified car

DETROIT – The primary electrified car for the Dodge model under Stellantis will probably be a plug-in hybrid crossover referred to as the Hornet, a resurrected identify most not too long ago used for a Nineteen Seventies station wagon.

The compact crossover will probably be Dodge’s new entry-level car, with a beginning value of lower than $30,000 for a Hornet GT mannequin with a 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder engine. The plug-in hybrid mannequin, which Dodge is asking the Hornet R/T, will begin at about $40,000.

Whereas the Hornet is not one in every of Dodge’s signature muscle cars, it is an vital car for the model’s gross sales and electrification strategy. It marks a return to the lower-priced mainstream market following the discontinuation of the Dart sedan and Journey crossover in 2016 and 2020, respectively.

“We predict the potential is large with the expansion of this section,” Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis stated throughout a media briefing. He declined to debate gross sales expectations for the car, which was unveiled Tuesday night time at an occasion in Pontiac, Michigan.

The compact crossover section is likely one of the largest segments within the trade, however Kuniskis stated Dodge will place the Hornet in a different way than rivals.

Dodge says the Hornet can have the highest efficiency within the section and provide distinctive elements, together with a “Energy Shot” mode for the plug-in hybrid that instantaneously gives 25 extra horsepower to the car.

The Hornet R/T PHEV can have greater than 285 horsepower and 383 foot-pounds of torque, in keeping with Dodge. It will likely be capable of journey greater than 30 miles earlier than a 1.3-liter turbocharged inside combustion engine activates to energy the car. Dodge says the GT mannequin can have a minimum of 265 horsepower and 295 foot-pounds of torque.

The Hornet GT is anticipated to reach in U.S. showrooms late this 12 months, adopted by the plug-in mannequin subsequent spring. The automobiles will probably be produced at a plant in Italy alongside the Alfa Romeo Tonale, which has a shared a platform and elements however completely different design traits.

Dodge additionally confirmed an idea car referred to as Hornet GT GLH (Goes Like Hell) – one other resurrected identify from the Dodge Omni GLH within the mid-Nineteen Eighties – that may very well be constructed utilizing aftermarket elements or go into manufacturing at a later date, providing further efficiency to the car lineup.

The revealing of the Hornet comes a day after the corporate confirmed it could discontinue the Dodge Charger and Challenger muscle cars on the finish of subsequent 12 months. They’re anticipated to get replaced by a minimum of one new electrical efficiency automotive beginning in 2024.

Stellantis was fashioned by the merger automaker of Fiat Chrysler and France-based Groupe PSA. It has 14 auto manufacturers together with Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Jeep and Peugeot. The corporate is investing $35.5 billion in vehicle electrification and supporting applied sciences by way of 2025.

The Hornet identify was first used for a automotive produced within the Nineteen Fifties by Hudson Motor, made common in recent times by Disney’s “Vehicles” franchise. It was then utilized by American Motors within the Nineteen Seventies, adopted by Chrysler, now often called Stellantis, for an idea automotive that by no means made it into manufacturing in 2006.