fbpx
DodgeRumors
Trending

LEAKED: The All-New 2023 Dodge Hornet C-SUV Is Caught In Video!

Now Deleted Facebook Video, Shows Dodge's Newest SUV...

There has been a lot of speculation surrounding the upcoming C-SUV from the Dodge brand. The 2023 Dodge Hornet might just be one of the worst-kept secrets in the auto industry, thanks to the excitement of being the first all-new Dodge vehicle since the 2013 Dodge Dart. With the recent unveiling of the 2023 Alfa Romeo Tonale, we were able to confirm a lot of the speculation, thanks to both the Hornet and Tonale sharing a lot of features and being built on the same assembly line in Italy.

Could this be the all-new Dodge Hornet hidden in the EV Day 2021 Presentation? (Stellantis).

But now, thanks to a video that was posted on Facebook and quickly deleted after, we are getting our first quick look at the 2023 Dodge Hornet. A couple of quick pictures were saved from the video thanks to members of the Italian car enthusiast forum AutoPareri.com, allowing us to see a pre-production Hornet inside the Stellantis Pomigliano d’Arco Assembly Plant on the outskirts of Naples, Italy.

The proportions of the Hornet look to be near-identical to the all-new Tonale. Looking a lot like the teaser we saw from the Stellantis EV Day 2021 presentation last summer, the Hornet looks very similar to the Tonale. Instead of the signature Alfa Romeo “Scudetto” shield grille, the front fascia features styling similar to the current Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody. We also get a peek at the hood design, which features heat extractors towards the front of the vehicle.

Pre-Production 2023 Dodge Hornet from Facebook video. (AutoPareri.com).

Don’t mind the set of Tonale wheels, we believe this pre-production tester is designed for camouflage to start evaluations on public roads. If you look closely, you will see an engineering kill switch (or shut off) already sitting on top of the dash.

We are also getting our first look at the Hornet’s interior, which looks to be an almost identical clone to the Tonale’s. If you closely at the image of the interior, you will notice where the Tonale’s DNA drive mode selector is located it appears to have been replaced by the same push to start button found in the current Dodge vehicles. This means that the steering wheel could be just a leftover Tonale part, as it would be redundant to have a push to start button located on the wheel like the Alfa.

Pre-Production 2023 Dodge Hornet from Facebook video. (AutoPareri.com).

We can also see that Hornet will get the 10.25-inch Uconnect 5 infotainment system and 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster from the Tonale as well. We expect the interior to be a little more different than what the picture shows, once the Hornet makes its official debut.

As far as powertrains go, we know that the Dodge Hornet will use the turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four-cylinder engine from the Stellantis Global Medium Engine (GME) family. The GME-T4 is rated at 256 horsepower and 295 lb.-ft. of torque in the Tonale and is mated to a ZF-sourced 9-speed automatic transmission. On Tonale, the GME-T4 models come standard with all-wheel-drive (AWD).

Pre-Production 2023 Dodge Hornet from Facebook video. (AutoPareri.com).

According to our sources, the Hornet could see a boost in horsepower over the Tonale to more align it with Dodge’s performance attributes. The GME-T4 has shown horsepower levels around 270 horsepower to 280 horsepower, depending on the application. For example, the North American-spec 2022 Alfa Romeo Stelvio equipped with the GME-T4 engine is rated at 280 horsepower and 306 lb.-ft. of torque on 91 octane premium unleaded fuel.  We expect the Hornet to fall within those parameters. 

There will also be a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) variant as well. The Tonale’s Q4 PHEV powertrain integrates two electric motors and a 15.5-kWh battery pack (4.1-kWh bigger than the Compass 4xe), with a fuel-efficient 1.3-liter turbocharged gasoline engine and 6-speed automatic transmission. This architecture provides two cars in one – a battery-electric vehicle featuring an electric motor (e-motor) and a high-voltage lithium-ion battery pack on the rear axle and a conventional vehicle with an internal combustion engine (ICE) fitted on the front axle, creating AWD. We expect a similar setup in the Hornet, once it makes its debut.

European-Spec 2023 Alfa Romeo Tonale Veloce. (Alfa Romeo).

The Q4 PHEV system delivers a total output of 275 horsepower (180 horsepower from the ICE and the rest from its e-motor. It allows the Tonale to run from 0 to 62 mph (0 to 100 km/h) acceleration in just 6.2 seconds while allowing the vehicle to have an all-electric range of up to 50 miles (80 kilometers) in the city cycle and 37.2 miles (60 kilometers) when city and highway are combined.

Dodge CEO, Tim Kuniskis has stated on the record in recent interviews that the Dodge brand will unveil two electrified vehicles this year. The first will be a concept version of the all-new eMuscle car that is scheduled for production in 2024, which should appear sometime this spring. The second is the introduction of a new PHEV vehicle, that will go into production by the end of 2022 (referring to the Hornet).

Could this be the all-new Dodge Hornet hidden in the EV Day 2021 Presentation? (Stellantis).

There has not been an official date announced for the unveiling of the 2023 Dodge Hornet, as of the writing of this article.

So what do you think of the Hornet so far? Would you be interested in a compact Dodge SUV? Do you think it will cannibalize the sales of the Tonale? What would you change? Let us know in the comments below or in the MoparInsiders.com forums.

Robert S. Miller

Robert S. Miller is a diehard Mopar enthusiast who lives and breathes all that is Mopar. The Michigander is not only the Editor for MoparInsiders.com, 5thGenRams.com, and HDRams.com but an automotive photographer. He is an avid fan of offshore powerboat racing, which he travels the country to take part in.

Related Articles

Loading new replies...

They need more powerfull 2.0 ICE and 2.0 PHEV.

The 1.3 PHEV in a Dodge Sporty CUV is unsaleable un NA… as for Alfa Tonale to…

Maybe they should greenlight the Tonale eQuadrifoglio with a 2.0 PHEV option in order to bring it also in the Hornet.

Reply 1 Like

I agree. This decision on the Tonale-Hornet linkage is a sound business decision that puts emphasis on performance character. Inevitably there will be other linkages across the Stellantis family, but Dodge and Alfa Romeo is a natural. There was, I suspect, internal resistance that this particular linkage would diminish the AR growth agenda and conflict with that significantly in North America. I also suspect that new thinking at corporate saw things differently and realized that AR would be focused globally and the Dodge would be “Americanized” and it’s spin off would generate huge profits with little harm to AR in North America. The key here is cleverly sharing assets under the skin and making these soul mates very different in styling and perception. Alfa Romeo’s growth plan was conceived by Sergio with a markedly Italian bias and that plan has fallen short to reality and to a new thinking under Carlos. This old protectionist thinking insultingly denied the management at Alfa Romeo and Dodge had the talent to pull this creative linkage thinking off. Hornet, I predict, will prove it can be done at the benefit for both brands. Prediction for Dodge stated above. Best selling Dodge in the lineup.

Reply 3 Likes

click to expand...

I agree. This decision on the Tonale-Hornet linkage is a sound business decision that puts emphasis on performance character. Inevitably there will be other linkages across the Stellantis family, but Dodge and Alfa Romeo is a natural. There was, I suspect, internal resistance that this particular linkage would diminish the AR growth agenda and conflict with that significantly in North America. I also suspect that new thinking at corporate saw things differently and realized that AR would be focused globally and the Dodge would be “Americanized” and it’s spin off would generate huge profits with little harm to AR in North America. The key here is cleverly sharing assets under the skin and making these soul mates very different in styling and perception. Alfa Romeo’s growth plan was conceived by Sergio with a markedly Italian bias and that plan has fallen short to reality and to a new thinking under Carlos. This old protectionist thinking insultingly denied the management at Alfa Romeo and Dodge had the talent to pull this creative linkage thinking off. Hornet, I predict, will prove it can be done at the benefit for both brands. Prediction for Dodge stated above. Best selling Dodge in the lineup.

”old protectionist thinking” what a load of junk and simply not true.
1st this project was done under Manley, and would been out with or without the PSA Merger.
2nd Manley approved this project to improve Italian Output & Capacity, whereas the price point Hornet likely to get wouldn’t make sense to build in North America.

Reply 1 Like

click to expand...

Hornet, I predict, will prove it can be done at the benefit for both brands. Prediction for Dodge stated above. Best selling Dodge in the lineup.

With the expected « poor » powertrain offer, I don’t think Hornet will beat Challenger and Durango…

I think that it can still sell easily 50k/y in NA.

To be a very « bestseller » it needs a 300+hp petrol engine (the 2.0 FCA engine is capable of that) and a « SRT/Hellcat » 400+hp PHEV high end version.

Reply 2 Likes

The Hornet seems to be a lazy Tonale rebadge. Like the EV day shape indicated. Different bumpers, lights and hood, but same body. Not good for Alfa in the US. 😕 Spyshot from Pomigliano:

Hornet-1.jpgHornet-2.jpg

Taken from this video: Log into Facebook

Reply 2 Likes

Back to top button