This review first appeared in the September 2024 edition of the Cruisin' News, "Oregon, Nevada and California's classic auto news & marketplace."
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Sacramento, California -- Dodge set out to build a hybrid Hornet with some sting, and the mission was completed with a high level of success in my judgment.
That's a way-too-long way to describe the crossover with a 1.3-liter, four-cylinder, turbo, PHEV engine rated at 288 horsepower and 383 foot-pounds of torque.
Oh, by the way, the combined fuel city/highway mileage equivalent comes to 77 miles per gallon when gas teams up with electricity. Gas only gets you a still-healthy 29 mpg in city/highway motoring.
But let's talk about horsepower.
Yes, this is a performance crossover, but the power is not dished up in a slap-in-the-face manner. I found accelerations to be robust, yet smooth ... and I was not driven to deafness by the sounds coming from the engine.
On the R/T, there's an on-demand "PowerShot" feature that adds a burst of 30 horses. That enables you to make the 0-to-60 mph trip in 5.6 seconds.
In other words, this SUV is a fun blast to drive, and you
can't help but put it through its maximum-performance paces when you're behind
the wheel.
The tester was stuffed with features that pushed the sticker's bottom line to $54,325. I was happy to sample the menu since I was not writing a check for the vehicle.
Standard equipment included a primo Harman Kardon audio system, adaptive speed control, pedestrian/cyclist emergency braking, a power sunroof, rain-sensing windshield wipers, heated front seats and much more.
A "Track Pack" and "Blacktop Bundle" of options included sporty styling touches (loved the hornet badge on my ride) and other enhancements, including dual-mode suspension.
The suspension was expertly tuned. The agile tester felt completely under my control even during hard accelerations from a standing start.
All in all, this Hornet is a perfect match for a motorist who likes a generous helping of thrill-ride performance with their utility and functionality needs.
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