Test Drive: 2023 Dodge Hornet GT Plus | The Daily Drive

2023 Dodge Hornet GT Plus AWD

Class: Compact Crossover

Color: Blue Bayou

Miles driven: 128

Observed fuel economy: 23.1 mpg

Driving mix: 60% city, 40% highway

EPA-estimated fuel economy: 21/29/24 (mpg city/highway/combined)

Fuel type: Regular gas

Snow Performance: N/A

Base price: $34,995 (not including $1595 destination charge)

Options on test vehicle: Special paint ($495), GT Blacktop Package ($1995), Tech Pack Plus ($2245), sunroof delete credit (-$615)

Price as tested: $40,710

Quick Hits

The great: plenty of power, fun to drive

The good: Comfortable front-row seating, upscale cabin trim

The not so good: Engine sounds crude, subpar ride quality

Tom Appel:

If you’re uncomfortable with change, this might be a bad time to visit a Dodge dealership. The storied MOPAR brand, which reinvented itself as a performance-car maker earlier this century, is now, again, transforming itself.

There are two big stories here. First, the Charger and Challenger high-performance sedan and coupe are being discontinued. The big rear-drive cars—mostly powered by versions of the maker’s “Hemi” V8 engine, are being sunsetted as week speak, and will not return for 2024. Dodge has teased battery-powered replacements for the muscle-car duo, but firm plans have not been confirmed.

Note that Chrysler’s mechanically related 300 large sedan is also going away.

For all intents and purposes, it was the Charger and Challenger that defined Dodge these past two decades, and their passing leaves a significant hole in the brand lineup.

This leaves the Durango large crossover as the only carryover Dodge model for 2024. And while the Durango is, by most accounts, a solid vehicle, it doesn’t sell in significant volume, and doesn’t really do much to bolster the Dodge brand—and it certainly can’t carry it. That said, the Durango can be outfitted with some serious high-performance stuff, so that’s something.

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As the out-going cars accounted for more than 70 percent of Dodge U.S. sales in 2022, it‘s clear that the brand is in need of a high-volume vehicle to keep the consumer traffic pumping through showrooms. It also needs a vehicle true to the Dodge-performance “attitude.” The answer? Meet the 2024 Dodge Hornet.

A compact crossover, the Hornet gives Dodge an offering in a huge market segment in which it has not played since the Journey was discontinued after the 2020 model year. Unlike the Journey, the Hornet is not available with three seating rows. Also, unlike the Journey, the Hornet is designed to be fun to drive. More on that in a moment…

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The Hornet is based on parent company Stellantis’ “Small Wide” architecture. The same architecture serves as a platform for the sporty, compact Alfa Romeo Tonale, and the humble Jeep Compass. And at 178 inches long, the Hornet comes in a little smaller than the Honda CR-V (184 inches) and the Toyota RAV4 (180 inches.)

But what Hornet is missing in terms of size and cabin volume, it makes up for under the hood. For 2023, the only engine available for the new Dodge crossover is a 268-horsepower 2.0-liter turbocharged four. A 9-speed automatic is the standard and only transmission. For 2024 a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) version sporting 288 horsepower comes online. The PHEV promises to be both faster and more efficient than the Hornets equipped with the standard drivetrain.

At launch, Hornet is offered in two trim levels: GT and GT Plus. The GT starts around $33,000 and comes pretty well equipped. The GT Plus starts around $37,000, and adds, among other things, leather seating surfaces, heated and ventilated memory front seats, premium Harmon Kardon audio, navigation system, LED headlamps, and a sunroof. The PHEV models will be badged R/T, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see R/T and R/T Plus trim levels.

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Consumer Guide recently spent a week behind the wheel of Blu Bayou GT Plus equipped with the GT Blacktop Package and Tech Pack Plus. All told, our test vehicle stickered for $40,710. Note that the Blacktop Package includes the 18-inch black wheels, and the Tech package such driver-assistance niceties as adaptive cruise controls, around-view camera, and drowsy-driver alert.

As we noted above, the Hornet plays on the small side of the compact-crossover segment, and while that makes for a sportier, more tossable vehicle, it does take a toll in rear-seat passenger space. Up front, there’s plenty of room for even larger and taller occupants, and entry and exiting are simple enough. The seats are firm and comfortable, and supportive enough for long trips. Also, outward visibility is good in every direction.

The cabin presents well for a $40,000 small crossover. Materials are generally high grade and soft touch, and the contrasting red stitching in our test vehicle lent the proceedings a sporty character.

Hornet makes use of the Stellantis Uconnect 5 digital interface, and the systems is refreshingly simple to use and glitch free. The dashtop touchscreen is easy to read, even in bright light—and the icons are bright and recognizable. During our test period our Bluetooth connection remained intact, something we’ve not been able to say about other recently tested Uconnect systems.

Also, the Harmon Kardon audio system punches above its weight class. The system sounds great and does justice to the mid-century American jazz generally preferred by this editor.

On the road the Hornet is as caffeinated as Dodge would have us believe it is. The turbocharged engine provides plenty of power from a stop, with a deep well of muscle available for passing and merging. Note that the engine sounds good when hustled, but actually comes across as a little crude at low speeds and when shuffling through traffic. And, on the topic of noise, Hornet isn’t nearly as hushed at highway speed as other small crossovers; both wind and road noise play a factor here.

Similarly, Hornet handles well, with great steering feel (for a small crossover) and athletic handing. Ride quality is generally good, though the suspension is subject to a certain amount of pounding over larger road imperfections, and the vehicle never quite settles in on less then perfectly surfaced highways.

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There’s a decent amount of cargo space behind the second seating row, and rear seatbacks fold flat easily enough. Hornet isn’t really roomy enough for four folks and more than a weekend’s worth of luggage, but we suspect the Hornet owner base will skew more towards single consumers, and married-no-kids types.

The new Hornet is seemingly what Dodge needs it to be. A buzzy, fun-to-drive small crossover with an approachable price tag and the promise of entertaining commutes. Hornet is not as roomy or functional as a CR-V or RAV4, but it is more fun to drive, and a little easier to park and maneuver through traffic. If you can dispense with a certain amount of utility in your quest for some daily-drive fun, be sure to put the Hornet on your test-drive short list.

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2023 Dodge Hornet GT Plus Gallery

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