Report: Dodge Kills Hornet Already UPDATED

The Hornet is/was Dodge's second-best selling vehicle -- out of three models. It also shares its platform with the Alfa Romeo Tonale, and that matters here, thanks to president Donald Trump's tariffs. Because the Hornet is built in Italy on the same line as the Tonale and shipped to the States, that means it's subject to tariffs.

Automotive News reports that production was actually suspended in July of last year so that Dodge/Stellantis could see how tariffs would affect the Hornet.

So Dodge just decided to not restart production. Slow sales meant a 25 percent tariff is not worth it.

It's not hard to understand why the Hornet didn't sell better. Despite cool looks, a cool name with historical connotations for Dodge, and a strong marketing blitz at launch, the car itself it was a disappointment. The plug-in powertrain that Dodge touted as the performance version felt heavy with clunky gas-to-EV transitions, and it was expensive. The gas-only version was more fun to drive and cheaper than the PHEV, with the same available features, but the interior felt downmarket and cramped and the car wasn't good enough to compete with popular five-seat crossovers like the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, or even the Ford Bronco Sport.

Meanwhile, the Alfa Romeo version looks better, doesn't cost that much more, and is perhaps a skoosh more fun to drive. And after starting out as PHEV only, Stellantis now offers both engines on the Tonale.

Below is the statement that Stellantis provided to CarBuzz. We will update if we hear from Stellantis and it's not the same statement:

Production of the Dodge Hornet, built in Italy, has ended due to shifts in the policy environment. Dodge is committed to ensuring Dodge Hornet owners continue to receive customer support, service, warranty coverage and sustained parts supply. All Dodge Hornet models carry a 3-year/36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper and 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty. Dodge Hornet R/T PHEV upgrades to 8-year/80,000-mile warranty on hybrid components and 8-year/100,000-mile warranty for battery.

UPDATED: A Dodge rep added this:

Dodge remains focused on its core multi-energy muscle lineup, featuring the all-new 550-horsepower Dodge Charger Scat Pack and 420-horsepower Charger R/T powered by the 3.0L Twin Turbo SIXPACK H.O. and S.O. engines, available in both two and four doors, the Dodge Durango three-row muscle SUV, available with up to 710 horsepower, and the 670-horsepower Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack, the world’s quickest and most powerful muscle car.

The future of the Tonale is unclear.

[Images: Dodge/Stellantis]

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