Dodge Reportedly Planning New Crossover Between Hornet and Durango

Dodge Reportedly Planning New Crossover Between Hornet and Durango​

New Model Aims to Expand Dodge Lineup by 2028...​

Sources close to MoparInsiders suggest that Dodge is working on adding a new crossover to its lineup. The model would slot between the C-segment Hornet and the E-segment Durango, with a planned debut no earlier than 2028. This move comes as Dodge looks to expand its portfolio, which currently consists of just three vehicles.

Dodge Reportedly Planning New Crossover Between Hornet and Durango

Dodge is expanding its lineup with a new crossover between Hornet and Durango. Explore what this means for the brand.

moparinsiders.com

 

[TripleT]

Things aren't much different today. All the Stellantis vans are badge engineering exercises off the same basic vehicle and just look how they stretch out the life of the eCMP structure with all the different top hats. That is the Dodge Journey to the Nth degree.

That particular Journey and its platform are long gone as well as the RT generation of minivans. Today D-segment SUV/CUV products are knocking pickup trucks off the top sales podium. Should Dodge ignore this? Also since all the vans in the Stellantis universe are badge engineered, why not have a Dodge version of something? I remember the Dodge Grand Caravan ES from the late 1990's. There were a lot of Dodge characteristics built into it. There is a risk of stepping on Ram Truck's toes with a Dodge van, but look how the Chysler brand was starved of new products to the point of near death by the risk of stepping on Jeep's toes.

I do not advocate bringing any eCMP products here. The Smart platform is much better if CDJ managers wish to go that small. Now that the market is on the cusp of the EREV era, the medium and large platforms present better opportunities.

Wow you made the Journey into something it wasn't, it was a poorly executed vehicle, at a time when Chrysler was getting leftover scraps from a failed Mitsubishi merger, operating at and on different and incompatible versions of Catia.

Every bit of cost was sucked out of product development; it is the way of PE operations.

If one is saying a bit of badge engineering could help fill out the portfolio? I give you the Hornet. poor selling and absolutely dragged in the community. News flash I had a loaner GT.... it is infinitily better vehicle than a Journey.

The real issue her is cost structures in manufacturing and regulatory are so high it is tough to build a domestic vehicle affordably. If one wants to target the bottom of the market in the new global tariff reality that we live. SLATE is who to copy. Back to basics vehicle with EV drivetrain. Using the SMART

 

[patfromigh]

The real issue her is cost structures in manufacturing and regulatory are so high it is tough to build a domestic vehicle affordably. If one wants to target the bottom of the market in the new global tariff reality that we live. SLATE is who to copy. Back to basics vehicle with EV drivetrain. Using the SMART

I wasn't discounting the faults of the Journey. Honda and Toyota are both able to offer highly successful American made D-segment crossovers. They aren't at the bottom of the market either in price or sales. Dodge isn't obligated to call the next D-segment CUV the Journey. The brand certainly isn't bringing back the old one. The Journey sold in Mexico definitely isn't the same old Journey since it's a badge engineered Chinese product. The point I'm trying to make is that a brand doesn't abandon a lucrative market segment without paying a price.

Yes the Hornet is a failure. Remember the Dodge Caliber and the "It's anything but cute." ad campaign? The Hornet's adds are worse. The pricing was a failure also. Is this another segment Dodge should abandon?

I was suggesting a van could be badge engineered. The Stellantis vans are one of the rare exceptions to the dangers of badge engineering.

Now about the Slate project. There is circumstantial evidence that the Slate project started in Auburn Hills. I posted about how the Smart Platform could be the base for an affordable Jeep. It would have many similarities to the Slate. That conversation is here-->

Post in thread 'Tribute To The Compact Pickup: Jeep® Comanche Concept'

Apr 28, 2025

The Slate EV truck does bring to mind both this Jeep Comanche Concept as well as the Dodge M-80. The Slate also seems to have borrowed other FCA features. From an op/ed found on The Fast Lane Truck (tfltruck-dot-com) :

This is a start-up that is based in Troy, Michigan. It has the backing of many wealthy individuals and companies. One of the main investors is Jeff Bezos of Amazon. They are rumored to have the funding (at least $100 Million) and the expertise to bring a small electric pickup to market. Slate Auto is listed to have 341 employees, according to the company’s LinkedIn...

• patfromigh

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[TripleT]

The Hornet is a better car than the Journey every hoped it could be, but doesn't have a rear seat. Shipping cost from EU and marketing are is biggest failure. Maybe showroom traffic model that is lower.

No they should for sure have a D segment vehicle just stay are far away from the Journey formula as possible. STLA Large .... Dodge Stelvio... lets call it. Wagon version of the Charger in the same way the Stelvio is a wagon version of the Gualia .... Maybe a rear just seat.

 

[UN4GTBL]

The Hornet is a failure because of price. Simple as that.

Sure, the minimal ads for the Hornet aren't great, but if the price was ok, people would buy them still. The value proposition for the Hornet is way off. And besides that, when was the last time you saw a good Rav4 ad?

I've maybe seen 12 Hornets since they were launched. Weird how nobody wants an Alfa with a Dodge badge at an Alfa price. I have seen a couple of Tonales around here, and about the same number of Stelvios. I just saw a new Stelvio Quadrifoglio in that beautiful green just this evening.

The Caliber sold ok despite its goofy ads, the Journey sold well despite poor ads. They both had a value proposition that people were good with. I know multiple people that bought multiple Journeys and love them.



On another note, the Dodge crossover between the Hornet and Durango should be priced where the Hornet is priced now. I would be interested in it at that point.

 

[AlexB]

The Hornet is a failure because of price. Simple as that.

Sure, the minimal ads for the Hornet aren't great, but if the price was ok, people would buy them still. The value proposition for the Hornet is way off. And besides that, when was the last time you saw a good Rav4 ad?

I've maybe seen 12 Hornets since they were launched. Weird how nobody wants an Alfa with a Dodge badge at an Alfa price. I have seen a couple of Tonales around here, and about the same number of Stelvios. I just saw a new Stelvio Quadrifoglio in that beautiful green just this evening.

The Caliber sold ok despite its goofy ads, the Journey sold well despite poor ads. They both had a value proposition that people were good with. I know multiple people that bought multiple Journeys and love them.



On another note, the Dodge crossover between the Hornet and Durango should be priced where the Hornet is priced now. I would be interested in it at that point.

Caliber sold poorly, was a disaster in every way possible. Journey was a subprime credit queen.

This D-Segment would basically Dodge sister of Cherokee, and should replace Hornet.

 

[patfromigh]

The Hornet is a better car than the Journey every hoped it could be, but doesn't have a rear seat. Shipping cost from EU and marketing are is biggest failure. Maybe showroom traffic model that is lower.

No they should for sure have a D segment vehicle just stay are far away from the Journey formula as possible. STLA Large .... Dodge Stelvio... lets call it. Wagon version of the Charger in the same way the Stelvio is a wagon version of the Gualia .... Maybe a rear just seat.

Your proposal makes sense as a D-segment crossover to fill in the vacuum left by the Journey. That still leaves some space for a C-segment Hornet replacement. Just because the Hornet has poor sales, I don't think Dodge should abandon that segment. The brand has to first learn how to sell to the green crowd, which up to this moment they have failed to do so.

 

[TripleT]

The Caliber sold ok despite its goofy ads, the Journey sold well despite poor ads. They both had a value proposition that people were good with. I know multiple people that bought multiple Journeys and love them.

Lets be honest with ourselves, loving a Journey mean your a pure value buyer, it a worse version of the Outlander with sort of PE Dodge styling. It really didn't do anything well. I was a owner and it pretty much the worst Mopar as far a dynamics, build quality, interior, seating I have owned. It was pure budget vehicle and I regretted buying it. Think you have to go back to 90s to level to find a similar vehicle dynamically. Now SM did put work in fixing it but still, and not to discount value. But value doesn't drive margin, just cash flow.

 

[patfromigh]

Think you have to go back to 90s to level to find a similar vehicle dynamically.

Before I read your post this afternoon, I was reflecting on what make a company or brand abandon a market segment. One reason is that the demand for a segment dries up. The last Dodge Dart and Chrysler 200 sedans are prime examples of that. A second reason is a poorly executed product bombs in the market. The Dodge Caliber comes to mind, arguably the last Dodge Caravan is also in this camp because Chrysler did receive a replacement minivan, but not Dodge. Finally my third and last reason is bracket creep. This is what happened to the Dodge Durango. It simply outgrew its market segment. The first generation Durango was a D-segment model in size, and the buyers loved it. The next generation grew in size by 6 inches on the wheelbase, and 8 inches overall length. The styling was questionable and the vehicle seems to have lost its charm. The Dodge Journey then arrived in that D-segment slot the first generation Durango outgrew. The Journey and that first Durango are within an inch apart in wheelbase and OL length. The Durango of toady maintains that E-segment size of the second generation model. Do I need to mention the Dakota pickup?

With the Dodge Hornet the brand is showing a total lack of market understanding. Consumers are buying hybrids because they want them. They are not being forced into them like the EVs are. Advertising such engineering as a halfway house to a muscle car insults both the traditional buyer and the new generation. There is room in the lineup for a domestically made replacement for the Hornet. It needs to be both affordable and understood by the public for what it is.