Say it in your best Italiano, with a shrug of the shoulders and the palms of your hands upturned. La Dodgah Hornetto.
How come? Dodge’s first all-new model in a decade, is based on an Alfa Romeo and built in Naples, Italy, making it about as Italian as Gina Lollobrigida. No wonder they ask for a lofty $1,595 destination charge.
But please give a big buongiorno to the new Dodge Hornet GT, a piccolo sporty-ute that’s targeted at the likes of Honda’s HR-V, the VW Taos, Chevy Trailblazer, Mazda CX-30 and Nissan Kicks in the booming $30-to-40-grand subcompact SUV sector of the market.
Courtesy of the Stellantis global parts bin, the Hornet is based closely on the brand new Alfa Romeo Tonale. Most of the same body parts, same suspension and brakes, same interior bits.
Thankfully the main mechanical components are different. Whereas the Tonales coming to the U.S. will only be offered with hybrid power, the Hornet features Dodge’s zippy Hurricane 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder packing 268 horseys and mated to a nine-speed automatic with standard all-wheel drive.
All this from $31,590 – including destination – or around $34,000 very nicely loaded like the Hornet GT I just spent a fun week buzzing around Tampa Bay in.
No, it’s not as cute as the Alfa. Dodge designers took the Tonale and added a rather milquetoast front end with a bland, narrow grille and Nike-swoosh-like LED front lights. At the rear, there’s the usual wide Dodge lightbar.
See it it in profile and it also looks a tad awkward with its high-riding, tippy-toe stance that’s not helped by the optional 20-inch wheels fitted to our test car.
Climb aboard and with the exception of the Dodge badge on the steering wheel, the fascia vents and seat upholstery, it’s all very much an Alfa Tonale.
There’s a 12.3-inch digital instrument display, and a 10.25-inch touchscreen above the center console and, thankfully, lots of physical buttons for audio, climate control and drive modes.
Up front, the sports seats have plenty of side support and adjustment, while in the back there’s enough kneeroom and headroom for adults not to feel cramped.
Full marks too for the quality of materials and fit and finish. Opt for the Plus package to get classy leather, while the Track Pack gives you suede-like Alcantara trim with a throwback rib-pattern design.
Punch the start button and hit the gas and 295 lb-ft of muscley torque, coupled with the quick-shifting automatic, can zip the Hornet from standstill to 60mph in around 6.5 seconds.
No, it’s not the most characterful-sounding of engines, but it packs oodles of right-now response and is eager to rev. Fuel economy is a so-so 24mpg combined, but that’s the price you pay for potent power.
The Alfa Romeo parentage also shows in the Hornet’s athletic road manners. The steering is firm and a tad heavy, but nicely precise and responsive.
Yes, the ride is stiff and often jiggly, but a lot of that was probably down to our tester’s 20-inch low-profile rubber and performance shocks that come with the Track Pack.
But it certainly helps make the Hornet one of the most fun-driving, most agile, most athletic subcompact SUVs out there.
Want even more fun? Coming this summer is the Hornet R/T with the same plug-in hybrid power as the Alfa Tonale. That means a 1.3-liter turbo “four” coupled with an electric motor and lithium-ion battery pack to give a combined 288 horseys. Pedal to the metal, that means 0-to-60 sprinting in 5.6 seconds.
You also have the fun of the R/T’s “Power Shot” feature which, at the touch of a button, gives an extra 30-hp for 15 seconds. Add to that the capability of 30 miles of all-electric driving. Price-wise, the hybrid Hornet R/T will sticker from $41,590.
Anyone looking for a feisty, fun-to-drive, value-for-money sporty crossover, this new Hornet, especially the GT, is worth a look. Like its namesake, it’s creating quite a buzz.
