2023 Dodge Hornet: new spy shot…

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While most people would welcome a new Dodge model after all these years, this is just plain sad…
I posted the bottom pic earlier last year and had commented on the similarities between the upcoming small Dodge and the new Alfa Romeo Tonale.
Now the worst-case scenario seems to become reality. The “new” Dodge will be a Tonale with a Dodge front end. And that’s pretty much it.
As you can see from the top photo, the Dodge and Alfa will be the exact same car. With different front ends. And maybe slightly different rear lights.
We’ve seen interior spy shots that also show carbon copy interiors.
This is weird in more ways than one. Alfa is supposed to be more upscale. In the US, Dodge is Stellantis’s cheapest brand. These 2 brands offering the same car doesn’t make any sense.
Badge engineering is far from new. But these days, manufacturers are doing a much better job at hiding it. 
An Audi doesn’t look like a VW (unlike the first Passat and Audi 80)
Everybody’s putting some effort into it. Just look at the Ioniq 5 and EV6.
I’m afraid something like this will not save Dodge from oblivion. And will hurt Alfa Romeo at the same time. How much more will be the Alfa version? And why???
But again, this seems to be “the Stellantis way”. Where in Europe, they sell many versions of the same cars under so many brands. But at least, the designs are different. Even though I’m not sure why would anyone pick the new super boring new Opel Astra over its Peugeot or Citroen ousin. But again, at least they don’t look the same.
The new Hornet is actually an insult to all the Dodge fans who’ve been waiting for a new model all these years.
This looks like a cheap way to have an excuse to kill the brand. “We did come up with a new Dodge and no one bought it. See?”

 

Conversation 4 comments

  1. Weird that they are changing the front end so that it doesn't look like an Alfa.

    (Instead of making sure it looks like a Dodge!)

  2. I'm not a fan of rebadging where there aren't enough significant revisions to visually distinguish the two marques. But I think this makes sense for these two makers, at this time. Both are in bad shape. Dodge is only doing well on pickups. Alpha has no footprint here. If they can change up the front end and taillights a bit so it looks like a Dodge – then have some signature elements on the interior, it stands a decent shot. Afterall, money isn't being spent anymore on development. There's just too much competitive pricing pressure on ICE vehicles.

  3. This Dodge Hornet looks like an CUV version of a 2013 Dodge Dart, but 10 years later. Which is probably exactly what it is.

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