Dodge is facing a rather complicated period due to its compact crossover Hornet. The American brand of Stellantis, synonymous with muscle cars and high-power SUVs, is struggling to sell Hornet in the United States. In recent weeks, some data indicated that Dodge Hornet was the slowest-selling car in the United States, with the brand having a 550-day supply. This is a significantly high average compared to other brands and models in the American market.
Dodge’s risky bet on Hornet leaves dealerships overstocked
In 2019, Dodge sold 422,888 vehicles in the country, a slight decrease from the previous year. Sales were driven by the Grand Caravan minivan and the Journey crossover, which together accounted for almost half of total sales that year. Specifically, Grand Caravan sold 122,648 units, while Journey recorded 74,687 sales. The strengths of these models were certainly practicality and ample space for families, as well as their price: the 2019 Grand Caravan SE started at $28,535, while the Journey SE started at $24,740.
Afterward, Dodge, intending to revamp its lineup, introduced the Dodge Hornet to the market, a twin of the Alfa Romeo Tonale. The GT version is equipped with a 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder turbocharged Hurricane4 engine, delivering 268 horsepower and 295 Nm. The R/T version features a plug-in hybrid engine that combines a 1.3-liter inline four-cylinder turbocharged engine with an electric motor, delivering a total of 288 horsepower and 383 Nm. Despite these specifications, the Hornet struggles to attract customers. One of the main reasons is related to the price, which starts at $31,400 for the GT version and $41,400 for the R/T version.
Among the main reasons is also the competition, with cars from brands like Audi, BMW, Mercedes, and Ford offering premium models at more reasonable prices. There’s also internal competition within the Stellantis Group itself, with the Jeep Compass Sport 4×4, which shares the same engines as the Hornet GT and the same architecture, starting at $25,900.
Following the end of production of Grand Caravan and Journey in 2020, Dodge’s sales plummeted. The brand’s sales, in fact, dropped to 199,453 units in 2023, less than half compared to 2019 sales. Of these, only 9,314 Hornets were sold, the 4.6% of the total. Now, the company is focusing its efforts on the debut of the new Dodge Charger Daytona, the world’s first electric muscle car, although the start of deliveries has been delayed by 90 days due to some electrical issues with the vehicle encountered during final testing. Meanwhile, a Charger Daytona was spotted in a parking lot in Michigan gathering dust.