New Dodge Hornet GT

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Hornet History
The first car with the Hornet nameplate was the Hudson Hornet back in 1951, famous for winning stock car races from coast to coast. American Motors retained the name in the late 1950s and it was passed on to Chrysler when it purchased AMC back in 1987. Originally a compact hatchback, the AMC Hornet was a best seller that debuted in 1970. In 1973 there was even a swingin' Levi's jeans version that featured blue jean material for the upholstery. We're not kidding. The little hatchback was phased out in 1977 when it was transformed into a luxury compact known as the Concord. Fast forward to today when Dodge has reintroduced the Hornet for 2023 in a platform shared with the Alfa Romeo Tonale. In fact, the two cars come off the same assembly line and look quite similar.

On the Road

The Hornet's quick steering ratio delivers wonderfully sharp responses to make it feel more like a hot hatch than a compact crossover. There's very little understeer and it grips corners like a crouching tiger. Traversing sweep curves is a pleasure in the Hornet. It's a crossover but it amps up the fun factor to ten!
 
The suspension is firm yet comfortable and the front-end response is crisp and compliant offering a confident and composed ride. Overall, it's a charismatic little beastie that is fully capable of darting about effortlessly as its name implies.
The Wrap Up
The new Hornet offers incredible value for the dollar. Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price for the GT is $29,995 not counting freight charges. In a world where many automakers are producing compact crossovers, the new performance-oriented Hornet is playing an entirely new game and adding some much-needed sting. We like it a lot. It is truly one hot hatchback! Look for a Lithia Motors Road Test of the new R/T Hybrid model when it becomes available in Spring of 2023.