The Dodge Hornet was intended to take the nation by storm as the brand’s first plug-in hybrid offering. It intended to stand out from all the other cars in the segment where power and performance come first. Meanwhile, the competition offers vehicles that struggle to make swift passes on roads but are versatile. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like that’s turning out to be the case for the Alfa-Romeo Tanale-based crossover, as a recent survey says the Dodge Hornet has been the slowest-selling vehicle on the market in the last six months. However, the Charger and Challenger also made it onto the list.
Dodge Hornet Nearing 500-Day Supply
According to Mopar Insiders, the Italian-built Dodge currently shows a 480-day supply of inventory still waiting to find homes. But there is a significant factor going against the Hornet: its price. While the Hornet offers best-in-class performance along with standard all-wheel drive, the C-UV segment is based on value rather than performance. Since the Hornet is one of the pricier vehicles in its class, with an average transaction price of $41,114, it’s more of a niche option within the segment.
The day following the Dodge Hornet’s launch, the brand announced that its dealer body had ordered 14,000 units. However, during the 2023 year, Dodge sold just 9,314 Hornets in the U.S. By comparison, Jeep sold 26,011 units of the Renegade and 96,173 units of the Compass. What’s more interesting is that Jeep discontinued the Renegade in December 2023 due to poor sales in the country.
Unfortunately, the Hornet isn’t the only Dodge vehicle that doesn’t appear to be doing well regarding sales, as the Charger and Challenger are also part of the list of America’s slowest-selling vehicles, even though the cars have been discontinued. The reasoning? A few things include inflation, interest, and high insurance rates due to car crashes and high car theft, not to mention dealer markups, which also contribute to whether or not someone can even afford to get their hands on one of the muscle cars.
Despite offering the most horsepower in the segment, what gives? It could simply bee (sorry) that the Hornet doesn’t quite embody the Dodge ethos that has been recognized over the past decade or so. Moreover, this segment is currently a very red ocean, and it may simply take a better deal than the other brands to move the metal like the dealers want.
The Dodge Hornet features a vehicle-width taillamp with a center illuminated Dodge Rhombi logo — a first for a Dodge vehicle.
