The Dodge Hornet R/T 2024 is a compact, plug-in hybrid SUV with a mission that has little to do with running on grid electricity, reducing emissions or saving fuel. Instead, this affordable model from Stellantis’ bad-boy brand has one clear priority: performance. Even if it’s nothing close to electric cars make noise Dodge is coming out next year.
Think PHEV, and you can picture driving 25 to 50 miles a day on batteries charged from the grid, with the gasoline engine as a backup generator for long trips. It’s a practical solution for spending most of the time on electricity—if it’s plugged in—without worrying about the range of a full EV.
Now, let’s get rid of that image altogether, says Dodge. The expected EPA electric range of about 30 miles—and any idea of miles per gallon without charging—has shrunk in recent times when driving in vehicles. traffic in and around Asheville, North Carolina.
Dodge Hornet R/T 2024
Hornet R/T Performance: PowerShots
Instead, Dodge executives focused on the Hornet’s “PowerShot” capabilities: in Sport mode, pull both levers on the steering wheel, press the accelerator, and the battery delivers an additional 30 hp (22 kW) in up to 15 seconds if its charge is 80% or higher. A 15-second cooldown ensues before another PowerShot can be delivered.
According to Dodge, the result is the ability to accelerate from zero to 60 mph in 5.6 seconds (with a battery level above the 80% threshold). We found ourselves using the PowerShot not only to accelerate during a standing start—which quickly gets boring—but also to overtake slow trucks on two-lane rural roads. Still, the three-step process (confirming Sport mode, pulling the paddle backwards, stepping the pedal over the latch) is cumbersome enough that we’d expect the seamless battery life of a full EV.
Dodge Hornet R/T 2024
The Hornet R/T’s battery will probably do quite a bit. Two of the four driving modes—Sport and Economizer—not only use the battery-powered engine, but actually recharge it. Only Hybrid and Electric modes provide any sustainable electric operation. It’s a different take on PHEVs, almost zero emissions and as low carbon as you can get. Some motorists may choose to use the R/T as gently as possible with electricity alone, but that’s clearly not what Dodge intends to promote.
Hybrid engine all-wheel drive
The Hornet R/T’s 1.3-liter turbo-4 engine has an integrated 44 hp (33 kilowatt) belt-start generator; Dodge doesn’t cite power for the engine alone. That engine only drives the front wheels through a 6-speed automatic transmission. A 90 kW (121 hp) electric motor powers the rear wheels, leading it to be called a cross-road hybrid, with the front and rear axles being driven by different power sources.
The R/T’s all-wheel drive is powered by software, rather than the drive shaft extending from the front transmission to the rear axle. The empty space in the tunnel houses the long arm of an L-shaped lithium-ion battery pack, with a rated capacity of 15.5 kWh.
This combination of power, wheel, and drive modes requires a lot of software to manage. From power on, the Hornet R/T starts in Hybrid mode, gradually using the battery charge to run on electricity alone, at light loads or at low speeds, then adding more motor power to the level. heavier loads. When driving in hilly suburbs, a Hornet with 40 percent or more battery left the engine off for a surprising amount of time, making it peaceful and quiet.
Dodge Hornet R/T 2024
Hornet R/T driving modes: Sport, Electric or e-Save?
To bypass Hybrid mode, the driver must select a different mode, which must be reset after each ignition cycle. Electric and e-Save are enabled on the steering wheel, while Sport mode is activated via a separate button on the dashboard. Sport is the fastest: it keeps the engine on, keeps the gear lower for longer for more power, and regularly uses battery power to supplement engine power.
Sport mode also recharges the pack more aggressively than Hybrid or Electric modes, which have minimal regeneration unless braking is applied. Depending on how it’s driven, Sport mode can slowly speed up battery charging—at the expense of burning more gas, using the engine as an inefficient generator.
In Electric mode, a Hornet with enough battery should make for a pleasant EV under most driving conditions — though if you slam the pedal hard to accelerate uphill, the engine will likely work to provide more power than the rear mounted motor can provide.
Finally, there’s an Electronic Economy mode, which allows the driver to keep existing battery power or reuse the car to recharge the pack — up to 40, 60 or 80 percent — all selected via the display touch.
Dodge Hornet R/T 2024
Dodge Hornet R/T 2024
Dodge Hornet R/T 2024
Compare Hornet R/T with other SUVs
On the road, the result is a small performance SUV that can feel quite different depending on mode and timing. In these situations, the Hornet R/T’s handling and grip, with its 52:48 front:rear weight distribution, is solid, well-balanced and enjoyable behind the wheel.
The challenge comes in the power supply when driving heavy. On first encounter, it proved unpredictable and at times confusing. In one case, at steady speed, going up one level consumed more battery at first, then downshifting, and then another in rapid succession — sending the engine soaring from 2,000 to 3,500, and then 5,000 rpm. The noise increases accordingly. Even after a few hours of driving, we couldn’t predict powertrain performance in Sport mode in most cases. With familiarity, perhaps the driver will know when engine revs will spike, when the rear engine will add more torque, and when the six-speed transmission will downshift.
Dodge Hornet R/T 2024
Dodge Hornet R/T 2024
Dodge Hornet R/T 2024
Considering the sharp driving impressions and overall packaging, there aren’t any clear, direct rivals for the Hornet R/T unless you’re switching to non-hybrid models like the Mazda CX-30 Turbo or the Kia Seltos SX Turbo.
The interior fits comfortably four adults, with enough leg and headroom for a 6-foot-tall passenger to sit behind the 6-foot-tall driver in a rear seat slightly elevated above the battery pack. Visibility out there is average, but tossing the small crossover around the back curves is a fun way to spend an afternoon.
Hornet prices and offers R/T
The Dodge Hornet R/T 2024 has a suggested starting price of $41,590, including the mandatory $1,595 destination fee. R/T Plus adds $5,000 to that total. Then there are optional packages: Blacktop, Track Pack, and Tech Pack. A fully loaded R/T can reach $50,000.
Dodge has suggested that the Hornet R/T rent rather than buy will be eligible for the full $7,500 federal incentive, according to the latest changes in the IRS interpretation of the Inflation Reduction Act signed last August.
Those interpretations may remain work in progress, so check carefully if you intend to rent to take advantage of that provision. Various state and local incentives for plug-in hybrid vehicles may also apply. before the late arrival of the R/T plug-in hybrid in late spring. And please note that there will be a 2023 Hornet GT coming at the end of April, this is not a plug-in or hybrid version.
(Also see this first full drive incl Hornet GT non-hybrid.)
Dodge Hornet R/T 2024
The R/T has a standard 7.4 kw built-in charger, so it will recharge to 100 percent in about 2.5 hours using a 240-volt Level 2 station. It takes up to 8 hours on a standard 120 volt household plug. Dodge includes a 120-volt portable charging cable as standard.
This begs a question: Are Dodge Hornets really plugged in? Or will the batteries and rear motors end up as expensive performance boosters subsidized by buy-and-lease incentives? Dodge said it will track the charging behavior of R/T buyers, which is appropriately anonymized. We hope the brand plans to share what they learn in the near future.
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Dodge provided airfare, accommodation and meals so Green Car Reports brings you this first-person driving report.
