Dodge Hornet GT Plus

With the Dodge Hornet GT Plus, it’s clear Stellantis hasn’t squandered a successful name. Once upon a time, driving a Hornet meant you owned a Hudson. After Hudson’s sale to Nash-Rambler and then American Motors Corporation, it became the AMC Hornet. Eventually, AMC was folded into Chrysler Corporation, where the Hornet name lay dormant. After going through other changes, it grew into Stellantis Group. Whew! And that’s the whole story! Well, the fifty-cent version, anyway.

Napleton News loves automotive history as much as the next guy, but that’s a lot to swallow. Still, the new Dodge Hornet GT Plus is an interesting vehicle with a compelling reason to take a look. Scope this one out as we put the all-new-for-2023 Hornet through its paces.

Does the Dodge Hornet GT Plus pack a sting?

The Dodge Hornet is a hot-hatch SUV that speaks with an Italian accent. It uses the same platform as the Alfa Romeo Tonale (Say Tone-al-lay, not toenail) and is built in the same Italian factory the Tonale comes from. The car is powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 268 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque.

The power hits the pavement via a 9-speed automatic transmission and an all-wheel drive system that is standard throughout the Hornet lineup. Our “Hot Tamale” Red example included such extras as a dual mode suspension, red Dodge-branded Brembo brake calipers and 20-inch painted alloy wheels.

How’s the Dodge Hornet GT Plus look?

Similar in design to the Alfa Romeo Tonale, but with its own unique front and rear fascias. Stylistically, the Hornet breaks no new ground when it comes to design. It, like most SUVs today, are of the two-box design meaning the hood comprises one box and the body/cabin making up the larger box. Two-box. Get it?

Still, we like the Hornet’s looks better than the more high-falutin’ Alfa Romeo Tonale.

What about inside the Hornet?

Seating inside the Hornet GT Plus offered good support for the long haul. This haul included a round trip to Miami and Port St. Lucie, Florida. Throughout both stints, we found a pair of seats that offered comfort without intrusive bolstering that we have seen in other vehicles.

The rear seat offers adequate seating for most, except in the case of the tallest passengers (six-feet or taller). Cargo space behind the second row is some of the largest in the compact SUV segment. For comparison, this Hornet competes with the Kia Seltos, Mazda CX30 and Chevrolet Trailblazer.

Technology takes no backseat with the Hornet either. There’s a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster configurable according to how sporty you want it to be. Choose standard, or sport settings as well as between-gauge navigation maps. The Harman-Kardon audio system operated via a 10.25-inch touchscreen display. We like it in concept since it is canted towards the driver. In reality, though, it seems they are placed just a bit too far away, requiring a lean forward to touch the screen.

Behind the wheel of the Hornet GT

Hop behind the wheel of the Dodge Hornet and it will feel as though you’ve been here before. That’s especially true if you have recently tried the Alfa Romeo Tonale. Pushing the starter button fires the engine, which gives off a little bit of a growl. Not a Dodge Hellcat-style growl, mind you. Still, it’s aggressive, considering the engine is just a third of the size of the Hemi.

Motivating factors

Motivation appears smoothly, especially after the engine has had time to warm. Otherwise, it can be a bit lurchy while getting underway. We didn’t like the aggressive auto start/stop function, which was quick to turn off. Upon restart, it offered a mild jerk that made it feel like a total econobox. Thankfully, the function can be disabled with a button push. It’s not a good look on a car that aspires to move up in the automotive food chain.

When driving the car in anger (That’s not a bad thing. It just means driving enthusiastically.), we felt a strong push from the four-pot turbo engine. Turbo-lag was well-controlled, giving us the ability to leap in front of lally-gaggers taking their own sweet time on our Florida highways. The brakes were quick to do their job. We didn’t care for the lane keep assist function that did its best to keep us within the stripes. Luckily, it too, had a button to disable it. But why should we need to push it again every time we restarted the Hornet?

Cast these foibles aside and the Hornet is still a fun vehicle. The only thing missing were a pair of paddle shift levers to squeeze our way up the interstate.

Specifications