Dodge PHEV Coming In 2022 Expected To Be The Tonale-Based Hornet

Plug-in hybrid compact crossover will reportedly use Alfa Romeo Tonale underpinnings and will be made in Italy.

2006 Dodge Hornet Concept

Dan Mihalascu

By: Dan Mihalascu

Aug 12, 2021 at 4:46am ET

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Last week, Stellantis announced its financial results for the first half of 2021 and used the occasion to announce more details about its future electrified vehicle launches.

The short-term launch calendar revealed by CEO Carlos Tavares includes 21 electrified products that will arrive over the next 24 months. Among them, there’s a Dodge plug-in hybrid vehicle set to launch in 2022.

No other details were offered about Dodge’s first production PHEV, leaving room for speculation. While the Durango looked like the most obvious candidate for electrification in Dodge’s current lineup, Stellantis may have been talking about a completely new vehicle.

That would be the 2023 Dodge Hornet compact SUV, according to a Mopar Insiders report citing unnamed sources. Similar in size to the current Jeep Compass, the Hornet is expected to be based on the upcoming Alfa Romeo Tonale (pictured below). Furthermore, it will be built alongside the Tonale at the Pomigliano D’Arco plant in Naples, Italy.

Alfa Romeo Tonale concept

Internally known as “GG” or “5920,” the Dodge Hornet will act as a replacement of sorts for the aging Dodge Journey, although it will only offer two rows of seats instead of three.

According to the same sources, the Hornet could get the same plug-in hybrid power plant as the Wrangler 4xe consisting of a 270-hp 2.0-liter turbo, a 134-hp electric motor and a 17-kWh battery. Besides the PHEV variant, the Hornet is expected to get 2.0-liter turbo-four and 1.5-liter mild-hybrid turbo-four powertrains, though nothing is confirmed for the moment. All-wheel-drive capability is mentioned as well.

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The report also claims the Dodge Hornet will start production in mid-2022 and arrive in dealerships in the fall of 2022 as a 2023 model.

As a reminder, FCA filed trademarks in March 2020 for both “Hornet” and “Dodge Hornet” with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Since the carmaker also applied for the same marks in Canada and Mexico, it’s pretty clear the Hornet will be available in North America. Dodge used the Hornet name before, albeit on a subcompact crossover concept unveiled in 2006 that failed to materialize into a production model.