Skip to main content
Sister Publication Links
  • Automotive News
  • Automobilwoche
  • Automotive News Canada
  • Automotive News China
Subscribe
  • Subscribe
  • Newsletters
  • Login
  • HOME
    • Latest news
    • Automakers
    • Suppliers
    • New Product
    • Environment/Emissions
    • Sales By Market
    • On The Move
    • Auto Shows
    • Munich Auto Show
    • Geneva Auto Show
    • Paris Auto Show
    • Beijing Auto Show
    • Shanghai Auto Show
  • Features
    • Long Read
    • Interview of the Month
    • Focus on Electrification
    • Focus on Technology
    • Segment Analysis
    • Cars & Concepts
    • Supplier Spotlight
    • Europe By The Numbers
  • Opinion
    • Blogs
    • Commentary
    • Guest columnists
  • Photos
    • Photo Galleries
    • Geneva Photo Gallery
    • Beijing Photo Gallery
    • Frankfurt Photo Gallery
    • Paris Photo Gallery
    • Shanghai Photo Gallery
  • Podcasts
  • Car Cutaways
  • EVENTS
    • ANE Congress
    • ANE Rising Stars
    • ANE Eurostars
  • More
    • Publishing Partners
    • Social Media
    • Contact Us
    • Media Kit
    • About Us
    • Capgemini: All or nothing: Why circular business models require a holistic approach
    • Capgemini: Invent Head on automotive takeaways from CES 2023
    • Capgemini: Securing the industry's future through a radical rethink
    • Capgemini: Succeeding with the automated driving journey through AI
    • Capgemini: The circular economy is spurring new thinking on EV batteries
    • Capgemini: Toyota and Capgemini leaders on how OEMs can handle industry changes and succeed
    • HEXAGON: Plugging into data is the only way to make winning EVs
    • TUV Rheinland: Ideas, services and certifications for smart mobility
    • TUV Rheinland: Testing of automated and autonomous vehicles on test tracks
    • Toyota Europe
    • UFI Filters
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. Cars & Concepts
August 24, 2022 02:48 AM

How Dodge's U.S. compact crossover is giving Italy a boost

Unions hope production of the Hornet and its sibling model, the Alfa Romeo Tonale, will give a big boost Stellantis production in Italy.

Andrea Malan
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Print
    Dodge Hornet

    The Dodge Hornet, shown, shares its platform as the Alfa Romeo Tonale. Its "mail slot"-style grille opening sculpted into the fascia, and aggressive lamp graphics, give it a different front end compared with the Tonale.

    MILAN -- Production of the Dodge Hornet compact crossover in Italy for the U.S. market will help parent Stellantis to boost plant capacity use.

    The Hornet will be built alongside the Alfa Romeo Tonale, its platform sibling, in Stellantis's factory in Pomigliano, close to Naples.

    The two models share the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Small Wide platform, which also underpins the Jeep Compass and Renegade, which are also built in Italy, in Stellantis's Melfi factory.

    Italian unions hope production of the two models will give a significant boost to Stellantis production in the country

    "The production start of the Hornet should require a second shift beyond the current single shift for the Tonale," the FIM metalworkers union said in a July report.

    The Tonale, shown, and the Hornet share similar styling on the side, rear and interior of the cars. The main differences are seen at the front, reflecting the styling cues of each brand.

    European sales

    Stellantis has not disclosed production or sales targets for the Tonale or Hornet.

    Alfa Romeo CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato said in an interview with Automotive News Europe that the brand would be happy to sell 30,000 Tonale SUVs in its first year. The Tonale's global annual sales potential could be in the range of 70,000 to 80,000 units, he added. Europe could account for 45,000 to 60,000 units, with 10,000 to 15,000 possible in the U.S., he said.

    The Tonale will be initially sold in Europe and North America, while the Hornet will not be marketed in Europe, Domenico Gostoli, head of the Dodge and Ram brands for Europe, told Automotive News Europe.

    "Dodge is a high-performance car brand, and we mostly sell top-of-the-range versions V-8-powered [vehicles] with more than 600 hp. If we want to grow the brand in Europe we have to start from our strengths. We are currently focusing on the Challenger SRT Hellcat large coupe, and the Durango large SUV."

    Dodge sold about 1,000 cars in Europe in 2021, Gostoli said. “We suffered like others from the disruption in semiconductor supply,” he said.

    Ram, another Stellantis U.S. brand, sold 5,100 pickups in Europe last year. Dodge and Ram do not sell their vehicles directly in Europe, but rely on three large importers: Canada-owned AEC, Swiss AGT and Swedish KWA, who in turn supply around 300 dealers.

    How Hornet differs from Tonale

    Both the Dodge Hornet and Alfa Romeo share similar styling on the side, rear and interior of the cars. The main differences are seen at the front, reflecting the styling cues of each brand.

    The Hornet has a hood with integrated heat extractors, "mail slot"-style grille opening sculpted into the fascia, and aggressive lamp graphics.

    The powertrains are also slightly different. The Hornet will be offered in two main versions.

    The Hornet GT, available from late 2022, will have a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder turbocharged gasoline engine with 265 horsepower and a PowerShot feature that supplies an extra 25-hp burst on demand at 15-second intervals.

    The U.S. version of the Alfa Romeo Tonale will use the same powertrain with a slightly lower output of 252 hp. Both the Tonale and Hornet will be offered with standard four-wheel drive.

    The Hornet R/T with a plug-in hybrid powertrain, will launch next year, powered by a 1.3-liter turbocharged gasoline engine from the Stellantis Global Small Engine (GSE) family, coupled with an electric motor powering the rear axle.

    The plug-in version of the Tonale, to be unveiled in October, will also have a slightly lower output of 271 hp.

    Italian production

    Annual production of the Tonale and Hornet at Stellantis’s Pomigliano plant could top 100,000 cars if Hornet sales reach 30,000 in the U.S., as expected, in combination with the Tonale’s 70,000-80,000 units globally.

    According to the FIM union the plant built 79,730 units through June, including 76,000 units of the Panda minicar and, on a separate line, 3,730 units of the Tonale.

    The overall production level through June was 10 percent higher than the same period of 2021, but 32 percent lower than in pre-COVID 2019.

    Pomigliano assembled 123,000 units in 2021, the lowest figure since 2012.

    Overall car production from Stellantis in Italy was 248,990 units in the first half, up 2 percent on 2021. Through December 2021it was 408,526. The possibility of 100,000 additional units at Pomigliano would increase the figure by nearly 25 percent.

    CARS & CONCEPTS: Sign up for this multipurpose newsletter that covers the biggest moves in Europe’s product market.
    DAILY NEWSLETTER: Sign up and get the top news of the day in Europe every business weekday.
    RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
    New VW Passat to arrive in September; Skoda Superb to follow
    Recommended for You
    VW Passat Europe
    New VW Passat to arrive in September; Skoda Superb to follow
    Ford Explorer EV 2023 front
    Ford Explorer EV races into segment poised for big gains
    VW brand CEO Thomas Schaefer with the ID2all concept
    VW, Skoda, Cupra will get small EVs made in Spain
    Sign up for free newsletters
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please verify captcha.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    You can unsubscribe at any time through links in these emails. For more information, see our Privacy Policy.

    DAILY NEWSLETTER: Sign up and get the top news of the day in Europe every business weekday.
    Get Free Newsletters

    Sign up and get the best of Automotive News Europe delivered straight to your email inbox, free of charge. Choose your news – we will deliver.

    You can unsubscribe at any time through links in these emails. For more information, see our Privacy Policy.

    SUBSCRIBE TODAY

    Get 24/7 access to in-depth, authoritative coverage of the auto industry from a global team of reporters and editors covering the news that’s vital to your business.

    SUBSCRIBE NOW
    Connect with Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • LinkedIn
    • Instagram

    Founded in 1996, Automotive News Europe is the preferred information source for decision-makers and opinion leaders operating in Europe.

    Contact Us

    1155 Gratiot Avenue
    Detroit MI  48207-2997
    Tel: +1 877-812-1584

    Email Us

    ISSN 2643-6590 (print)
    ISSN 2643-6604 (online)

     

    Resources
    • About us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise with us
    • Advertise with Us
    • Ad Choices Ad Choices
    • Sitemap
    Awards
    • Rising Stars
    • Eurostars
    • Leading Women
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    Automotive News Europe
    Copyright © 1996-2023. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • HOME
      • Latest news
      • Automakers
      • Suppliers
      • New Product
      • Environment/Emissions
      • Sales By Market
      • On The Move
      • Auto Shows
        • Munich Auto Show
        • Geneva Auto Show
        • Paris Auto Show
        • Beijing Auto Show
        • Shanghai Auto Show
    • Features
      • Long Read
      • Interview of the Month
      • Focus on Electrification
      • Focus on Technology
      • Segment Analysis
      • Cars & Concepts
      • Supplier Spotlight
      • Europe By The Numbers
    • Opinion
      • Blogs
      • Commentary
      • Guest columnists
    • Photos
      • Photo Galleries
      • Geneva Photo Gallery
      • Beijing Photo Gallery
      • Frankfurt Photo Gallery
      • Paris Photo Gallery
      • Shanghai Photo Gallery
    • Podcasts
    • Car Cutaways
    • EVENTS
      • ANE Congress
      • ANE Rising Stars
      • ANE Eurostars
    • More
      • Publishing Partners
        • Capgemini: All or nothing: Why circular business models require a holistic approach
        • Capgemini: Invent Head on automotive takeaways from CES 2023
        • Capgemini: Securing the industry's future through a radical rethink
        • Capgemini: Succeeding with the automated driving journey through AI
        • Capgemini: The circular economy is spurring new thinking on EV batteries
        • Capgemini: Toyota and Capgemini leaders on how OEMs can handle industry changes and succeed
        • HEXAGON: Plugging into data is the only way to make winning EVs
        • TUV Rheinland: Ideas, services and certifications for smart mobility
        • TUV Rheinland: Testing of automated and autonomous vehicles on test tracks
        • Toyota Europe
        • UFI Filters
      • Social Media
        • Facebook
        • Instagram
        • LinkedIn
        • Twitter
      • Contact Us
      • Media Kit
      • About Us