2010 Dodge Hornet

By Chuck Giametta

2010 Dodge Hornet Buying Advice

• The 2010 Dodge Hornet is the best car for you if you like the chutzpah of the Dodge Caliber but not the chintz of its build quality.

• Chrysler LLC’s economic crisis may kill, alter, or put on hold plans for the 2010 Hornet. But if the company sticks to the original agenda, Dodge will tap small-car expert Nissan to build the 2010 Hornet using the chassis of the Japanese company’s successful Versa compact car. That should take care of the quality complaints hounding the U.S.-built Caliber, a larger car whose body is a rough-draft of the 2010 Dodge Hornet’s styling. If Chrysler can pull it off, the blend of Versa’s solid construction and fun-to-drive personality with Dodge’s kick-ass attitude would make for an appealing new subcompact.

• Should you wait for the 2010 Dodge Hornet? No. Too many variables can disrupt the Hornet’s timeline -- even scuttle it altogether. Attractive alternatives are on sale now. If your curiosity or economic circumstances compel you to wait, however, you’ll be cheered to know Dodge promises to aim this new four-door hatchback up at the sporty Mini Cooper and not sideways at, say, the prosaic Toyota Yaris. If the crosshairs are on the Cooper, look for a Hornet with some sting to its driving dynamics.     

2010 Dodge Hornet Changes

• Styling: The 2010 Dodge Hornet was inspired by Dodge’s 2006 show car of the same name. Raked forward on extruded wheel arches, with a flattened nose and hunched shoulders, that little beast had the air of a high-school wrestler itching to make varsity. Translating that brio to the Versa’s underskin architecture is no sure thing. Cost considerations are forcing Hornet stylists to work with dimensions and engineering “hard points” originally drawn up for a more conservative car. Even if they can preserve the 2006 concept’s looks, the 2010 Dodge Hornet will be almost a foot-and-a-half longer than the show car, at roughly 168 inches. That’s about six inches shorter than the Caliber four-door hatchback, but some eight inches longer than the Mini Cooper Clubman three-door hatch and nine inches longer than the 2010 Kia Soul four-door hatchback.

• Mechanical: Whatever the production 2010 Dodge Hornet finally looks like, it’ll use the Nissan Versa’s front-wheel-drive layout and basic four-cylinder powertrain. It’s almost certain to use the Nissan’s 122-horsepower 1.8-liter engine, though Dodge could also tap the less-costly and more-frugal 107-horsepower 1.6-liter recently introduced on a super-saver version of the Versa. A choice of a six-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission is likely. And if Nissan’s in a munificent mood, perhaps the Hornet will be available with Versa’s fuel-saving continuously variable automatic transmission as well. None of these combinations would make the 2010 Hornet particularly speedy, but Dodge will likely try to give it sharp handling by beefing up the suspension, maybe tightening the steering, and probably making it available with wheels and tires up to 18-inches in diameter versus Versa’s 15s.    

• Features: Here, Dodge can exercise some latitude, primarily by creating as sporty a cabin as possible without busting the budget or tearing up Versa’s floorpan. The challenge will be to use plastics and fabrics that rise above the miserly materials that put Caliber in the cheapo hall of fame. Power windows and locks, remote keyless entry, cruse control, USB iPod and Bluetooth connectivity, and antilock brakes are among features that might be standard or cost extra, depending on whether Dodge markets Hornet as a premium subcompact like the Mini or prices it as an economy champ, like the Versa. A power sunroof is a likely option, and leather upholstery and a navigation system would pleasant surprises. Count on curtain side airbags, air conditioning, and a split-folding rear seat among the standard features.  

2010 Dodge Hornet Prices

• Absent Mini Cooper’s cache, Dodge can’t justify a Cooperesque starting price of nearly $19,000 for the 2010 Hornet, and certainly can’t approach the almost $21,000 it takes to get into the Cooper Clubman. That leaves two possibilities: The 2010 Dodge Hornet could be stripped down and priced to start at a Versa-like $13,500, with loaded versions topping out around $18,000. Or Dodge could roll the dice, position the 2010 Hornet as a high-value Cooper competitor boasting upscale features at a bargain price and start it in the $16,000-range.

2010 Dodge Hornet Gas Mileage

• Even at a likely 2,700 pounds, the 2010 Hornet won’t qualify as a heavyweight by today’s automotive standards. That means competitive fuel economy with other small cars. Look for the 1.8-liter engine to be rated something like 26 mpg city/31 highway with the six-speed manual transmission, 24/32 with the four-speed automatic. Expect around 27/33 if the continuously variable transmission is offered. If the 1.6 is available, anticipate roughly 25 mpg city/33 mpg highway with manual transmission, 25/32 with automatic.  

2010 Dodge Hornet Release Date

• The initial plan was for the 2010 Dodge Hornet to be in showrooms by summer or fall 2009. This timing is subject to change, however, given the fluid nature of Chrysler’s alliance with Nissan. That arrangement involved not only Nissan’s production of the Versa-based Hornet, but a rebadged Dodge Ram selling as a replacement for the Nissan-built Titan pickup.

What’s next for the Dodge Hornet

• Into the swirl of uncertainty enveloping the Chrysler-Nissan hook-up, mix in Chrysler’s possible union with Fiat. Floated during the first months of 2009, the idea is for the Italian automaker to regain a distribution channel in the U.S. and for Chrysler to plumb Fiat’s lineup of fuel-efficient small cars. If the Italio-American link comes to fruition, it could mean the Versa-based Hornet would be a one-and-done model. Or it could prompt Chrysler and Nissan scrap their plans and enable Chrysler to fill Hornet’s role with an Americanized version of one of Fiat’s sporty small hatchbacks.    

2010 Dodge Hornet Competition

• 2010 Ford Fiesta: If the Hornet’s going to get swatted by a domestic-brand rival, place your bets on this shapely little newcomer. Offered as a four-door sedan and hatchback and developed in Europe, the all-new Fiesta boasts great road manners, quality construction, and can’t-look-away styling. It’ll start around $15,000 and reach perhaps $18,500. Light and lively, the 120-horsepower Fiesta could see fuel-economy ratings of 30/40 mpg (city/highway) with manual transmission, 26/35 with automatic.

• 2010 Kia Soul: Not as sporty to drive as Hornet promises to be, but similar in character as a boxy little hatch aimed at the clubin’ crowd. The Soul went on sale in March 2009. It has four doors, front-wheel drive and four-cylinder engines of 120 and 140 horsepower. Base prices range from $13,995-$18,595 and EPA fuel-economy ratings of 24/30 mpg. Soul’s competent enough on the road, but doesn’t reward anyone to loves to drive. On the upside, many of its cabin touch surfaces seem filched from a pricier car, and Kia’s five-year/60,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty is a among the industry’s most generous.

• 2010 Scion xB: Not as calculated as the Hornet to get your blood racing, but distinctively styled nonetheless and with surprisingly entertaining road manners. This four-door wagon -- a voluminous box, really -- comes from Toyota’s Scion youth division. Prices start over $16,000, but there’s real value here, with terrific build quality, a long list of standard features, and a host of upscale options. The xB has a useful 158 horsepower, but fuel economy suffers for it at 22/28 city/highway. Redesigned for the 2008 model year, the Scion xB won’t change significantly until at least model-year 2014.