It’s the middle of January 2026, yet there has still been no update about the 2026 Dodge Hornet since last July, when production was “delayed” due to tariffs. Instead, Dodge has quietly killed off the small crossover, as first reported by CarBuzz, with a company spokesperson telling Jalopnik that “Production of the Dodge Hornet, built in Italy, has ended due to shifts in the policy environment.”
Instead of a compact crossover with relatively frugal drivetrain options, Dodge is looking to heftier horsepower models, the spokesperson continued:
“Dodge remains focused on its core multi-energy muscle lineup, featuring the all-new 550-horsepower Dodge Charger Scat Pack and 420-horsepower Charger R/T powered by the 3.0L Twin Turbo SIXPACK H.O. and S.O. engines, available in both two and four doors, the Dodge Durango three-row muscle SUV, available with up to 710 horsepower, and the 670-horsepower Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack, the world’s quickest and most powerful muscle car.”
The 30% tariff on European-made cars that went into effect August 1, 2025, did no favors for what was supposed to be Dodge’s most affordable model, but the phrase “policy environment” can also apply to company policy. Stellantis has made a 180-degree power slide since CEO Antonio Filosa took over from Carlos Tavares. The Hemi is back and electrification is off. Just last week, Stellantis pulled the plug on all plug-in hybrids, which itself would have eliminated the Hornet’s R/T and R/T Plus trims. All this is in line with the current EPA’s “pave the rainforest” attitude and the Trump Administration ending EV tax credits, so the government and corporate “policy environment” are very much hand-in-hand.
The Hornet buzzes off
Unlike the long-running Dodge Journey (17 new examples of which were actually sold in 2025), the Hornet only recently came out as a 2023 model. An initial flurry of enthusiasm for the Alfa Romeo clone quickly turned sour. Dealers had trouble selling it, and you Jalopniks branded it a bad car that wasted a great name and one of the dumbest cars on sale today.
At least that second distinction won’t be true anymore. According to The Drive, there are currently only 348 Hornets for sale at Dodge dealers nationwide. Autotrader lists 564 across all dealers, with 202 of them being PHEV variants. That’s not exactly a swarm, but if you still want a Hornet for some reason, you have a chance to get one, likely for a major discount. It may help to know that Dodge assures owners it will continue to support the Hornets it has already made:
Dodge is committed to ensuring Dodge Hornet owners continue to receive customer support, service, warranty coverage and sustained parts supply. All Dodge Hornet models carry a 3-year/36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper and 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty. Dodge Hornet R/T PHEV upgrades to 8-year/80,000-mile warranty on hybrid components and 8-year/100,000-mile warranty for battery.”
Three years is a remarkably short production run. But for many reasons, the Hornet was the wrong car, at the wrong price, in the wrong place, at the wrong time. The ongoing tariff war was just the final nail in the coffin.
