Zac Quinn 
Dodge has carved a strong reputation for itself thanks to its muscle cars, but that’s changing soon. As seen during the summer’s Stellantis EV Day, The Brotherhood of Muscle will soon be expanding itself again, after distilling itself to just three performance models: the Challenger, Charger, and Durango. All of them offer a Hellcat V8, none of them are hybrids. But electrification is coming to Dodge, just as it is everywhere. An electric Dodge Charger is coming by 2024. But before that, we could see a new Dodge Hornet reborn as a hybrid SUV. And according to new reports, the Hornet will have a 2.0L PHEV drivetrain is capable of creating 375 horsepower with 470 lb-ft of torque, as seen in the Jeep Wrangler 4xe. And it could return 50 MPGe, as well.
Dodge Hornet: A Hybrid SUV From Italy
According to Mopar Insiders, construction of the Dodge Hornet will be in Pomigliano D’Arco (Naples), Italy, alongside the upcoming Alfa Romeo Tonale. The Hornet will be a compact two-row SUV based on the Tonale, so it’s no surprise the two vehicles will be produced in the same factory. In addition, the Hornet will be one of nine new plug-in electric vehicles (PHEV) for Stellantis by 2024. A full electric version, teased during Stellantis EV Day and depicted in the photos, is also expected to be sold alongside this future product.
Really hitting it home is an alleged photo posted by a member of Italian forum Auto Pareri. The photo features the Dodge Hornet name, and the designation of a 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder engine from the Global Medium Engine (GME) lineup, also known as the Hurricane engine. This turbo-four can be found delivering 270 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque without electrification, with an EPA estimated 31 MPG on the highway in the Jeep Cherokee. Since the Hornet will undoubtedly be lighter than the popular SUV, it’s safe to say these numbers will undoubtedly be higher from a performance standpoint.
Jeep Wrangler 4xe An Early Look At What’s To Come
So, what happens when you add a battery to the mix? Look no further than the Jeep Wrangler 4xe, which has been topping the charts in hybrid vehicle sales. The Jeep Wrangler 4xe uses the GME-T4 Hurricane engine with an 8-speed automatic transmission, plus a 400-volt lithium-ion battery, creating impressive performance and great mileage. We recently got behind the wheel of one of these machines, and it’s got all of the thrust of a V8, and all of the stealth at low speeds to keep nature undisturbed. Rather impressive if you ask us.
That said, the upcoming Dodge Hornet won’t have exactly the same setup given that it’s utilizing a unibody, front-wheel-drive architecture, but the numbers produced by the Wrangler are cause enough for some excitement.
