Hornet, first electrified Dodge, arrives for 2023 MY

The industry's red-hot and crowded compact-utility vehicle market gets a newcomer for the 2023 model year with an electrified, top-of-the-line version of the Dodge Hornet. “It's intentional to enter a segment that's growing fast with a younger demographic that's more predisposed to early adoption of electrification,” said Tim Kuniskis, CEO of Stellantis' Dodge brand. The vehicle made its global debut on August 16 during Dodge Speed Week at the M1 Concourse in Pontiac, Michigan.

SAE Media interviewed Kuniskis and others about the new Hornet. The base-model Hornet GT will be ICE-powered, while the Hornet R/T will reign as the Dodge brand's first electrified nameplate. “R/T models have always been the performance step-up,” Kuniskis said, noting the plug-in hybrid electric R/T will be the faster, more-powerful variant of the Hornet.