It was the car that dominated NASCAR so completely in its early years that Paul Newman voiced it in the Pixar animated movie “Cars.” It’s the Hudson Hornet, a name inherited by American Motors Corporation (AMC), which used the nameplate on a compact car in 1969. Stellantis now owns the name, having acquired AMC in 1987, and is reviving the moniker for the 2023 Dodge Hornet, a new compact SUV that melds the Hudson Hornet’s performance and the AMC Hornet’s practicality.
OK, aside from its name, it has nothing to do with past Hornets and everything to do with the Alfa Romeo Tonale, a compact SUV about to be launched by Dodge’s Italian corporate cousin, Alfa Romeo. Look at the Tonale and Hornet side-by-side, and you’ll see they’re identical cousins, sharing much of their DNA.
Sure, Dodge has done the expected cosmetic surgery to ensure they are differentiated in the marketplace. It has a different hood, front-end clip, side cladding and rear lighting. But its overall shape is a dead-ringer for the Tonale. That said, the Alfa Romeo is sure to cost more than the Dodge. But here’s the thing: They’re manufactured on the same assembly line in Naples, Italy.
