The Dodge Hornet concept cars (2006) and possible small Dodges
Were you looking for a different Hornet car? Hudson Hornet | AMC Hornet
Update, 6/16/08: Paul Lienert of Edmunds' Inside Line claims that Nissan will build the production version of the Dodge Hornet in calendar-year 2010, basing it on the Renault-Nissan global B-car platform shared by the Renault Clio and Nissan Cube. The Hornet will first be built in Japan, and if successful, will move to Mexico, according to inside Line. Earlier attempts to have the Hornet built by Chery and Volkswagen failed, according to the article.
The two companies had said that they would produce a vehicle "based on a unique Chrysler concept and design." The term "design" can be used to describe the appearance of a vehicle rather than its engineering; likewise, "platform" is technically merely a series of measurements. This leaves no small degree of uncertainty regarding the car's architecture and powertrain.
The Dodge Hornet concept car
The Dodge Hornet concept car was introduced in Geneva. The car, smaller than the Caliber, has a 1.6 liter supercharged engine with 170 hp and 165 lb-ft (224 Nm) of torque (both at 4,000 rpm); the intercooler is visible from the grille, and includes a functional hood scoop. The transmission is a six-speed manual.
The Dodge Hornet is not the “China car” which is to be a volume seller. However, it, too, will be assembled in China. Originally, it seemed that the Hornet would be sharing the basic chassis of the new Mercedes A-Class, with joint engineering by Chrysler and Mercedes, but Automotive News claims that the Hornet will be engineered in China by Chery, with production to begin by 2010. We believe that production will actually start earlier, around 2009, and that the Hornet will be jointly engineered.
We now have confirmation that the Hornet - based on the dimensions, we cannot tell whether it is a shortened version of the Chrysler/Mercedes C412, or an existing Chery platform - is to be sold as a niche car in the United States with a rather low projected volume (below even the original PT estimates).
Daimler has announced that the new small Dodge will not be based on a Volkswagen, though the German firm was reputedly the first to be contacted for a proposal. Most likely is a Chinese or Korean automaker, though other Europeans have not been ruled out (Citroën, Renault, and Fiat all make good cars in this class, and have been known to license their designs). The language of a report in Automotive News on September 18 implies that Chrysler intends for the vehicle to be produced outside the United States by the other automaker; this counters (but makes more sense than) past reports that Chrysler was seeking to buy a platform (set of dimensions) and possibly some technology but would engineer the car in-house, which would delay introduction to the U.S. by two or three years. Modifying and importing an existing small car not yet available in the U.S. would take much less time and reduce the loss of buyers seeking better gas mileage.
The body features frameless windows and more glass than current models. The seats have thinner but still comfortable cushions to provide more interior space and make folding easier.
Chrysler recently announced that it intends to get more than 1% market share in Europe, and will use the Dodge brand, including the Caliber, to do so; the Caliber's hatchback design was thought to be friendlier to Europeans. The Hornet may be a sign of things to come as Chrysler tries to get into Europe with a car more suited to the more expensive fuel and smaller streets. However, given that Chrysler has said it would probably partner with another company to build a smaller-than-Caliber vehicle, one question is - what is the Hornet based on? It certainly is heavy by class standards
Thanks to El Diferencial for getting this information to us fairly early!
Dodge Hornet concept car details from Chrysler
The new Dodge Hornet concept vehicle is designed to bring to the B-segment market a unique blending of European sensibility regarding engine size and overall footprint with flexible interior space.
"We wanted the Hornet to be dynamic, nimble, fun to drive, and have an adaptable space-efficient interior," said Mark Moushegian, principal exterior designer. "At the same time we set out to create a vehicle with a uniquely American character to expand the image and presence of the Dodge brand in Europe and international markets, especially in the entry-level market. We went for a rallye-inspired look-robust, capable, and most definitely not 'cutesy.' We wanted a distinct 'edge' to the design. We especially wanted to push the envelope of interior volume. That's why the Hornet is almost as wide as a C-segment vehicle."
The Hornet sports a wide stance, with the Dodge crossbar grille set above an exposed engine intercooler flanked by front brake air ducts and fog lamps. The raised plateau on the hood features a recessed scoop on the driver's side to funnel air to the engine air box.
The muscular side view is dominated by the large 19-inch diameter open-section aluminum wheels designed to show off the "mechanicals," including the gold-colored brake calipers. The arching wheel flares and notched sill are complemented by curving body surfaces that "spear out" into the full front and rear opposed half-doors which, in section, are quite shallow so as to maximize the interior space. The framed doors open to reveal the absence of a B-pillar, while the three-window side glass terminates in a dynamic wedge-shaped quarter window.
Inspired by the look of fashion sunglasses, all the glass in the vehicle, including the oversize sunroof, is rendered in a deep "Blue View" tint which contrasts vividly with the car's Liquid Silver exterior.
"The idea is that the car would be available in a limited number of colors," Moushegian said. "The customer selects the contrasting glass color of his or her choice as an accent." Inspired by the legendary Dodge Viper, dual "skunk stripes" in Beryllium Gray boldly traverse the hood, roof, overhanging rear defuser wing and the liftgate, including the "sky view" sunroof which offers a panoramic outlook overhead for both front and rear passengers.
Set in matte metallic gray tiered bezels and grouped under clear covers, all exterior lamps share a common "mechanical" style vocabulary that features prominent circular elements plus "triple orange slice" front and rear turn signals. Similar repeater lamps are set into the side mirrors which also incorporate auxiliary rallye lamps. The circular theme is reprised by three-inch diameter dual exhaust tips propelled through the rear chin spoiler.
"Like the exterior, the interior is geared around young rallye enthusiasts," said John Sodano, principal interior designer. "Our intention was to maximize the interior volume by pushing all interior surfaces to the perimeter of the vehicle as much as possible. I studied images of space capsule interiors, since they are designed for high efficiency in a limited space. I wanted the Hornet inside to have a functional, 'engineered' look, but with pleasing surfaces and materials."
Extreme flexibility also is central to the sporty interior. The space-saving foam seats are exceptionally slim but comfortable, with the striking satin-silver finished aluminum framing deliberately exposed. Seat bolsters are covered in a smooth, black urethane-coated fabric while a black, fine-woven textured Pique cloth is used on the cushion and back inserts. Belts are integral with the seats.
The seats' real beauty lies in their adaptability. Both the passenger front bucket seat and the 40-60 three-passenger rear seats fold forward and collapse to the floor to provide a flat load bed. To facilitate this, the headrests fold forward to stow between the seat back and cushion. The cabin floor is covered with an attractive and durable honeycomb-texture rubber.
In addition, the rear seats also flip rearward to stow in back, flush with the liftgate sill. This position provides for the highest possible vertical storage behind the front seats. When upright, the rear seats track rearwards to provide an additional 225 mm of legroom for rear seat passengers. Accessible to passengers regardless of the fore-aft seat position, overlong grab bars are mounted high on each rear quarter and also serve as clothes hangar racks.
The crisp black and slate gray interior is designed for both style and utility, with surfaces having a disciplined, space-saving planar look. The driver's door trim panel, for example, contains a first aid kit, open storage bin, and a closed case with carrying handle that can be removed from the car. The passenger door boasts both open and closed bins plus a longer open bin with bungee cords to retain stowed items. All bins are removable and can be easily rearranged to suit each customer's requirements. Moreover, the designers envision the Hornet as a vehicle that can be easily customized through the purchase of add-on exterior and interior parts and accessories, allowing owners to personalize their cars to express individual needs and desires.
Both front doors also have a hinged storage pocket just above the remote handle. The driver's side rear door contains a handy beverage cooler while the door opposite boasts a fold-out table module. On all doors, cloth-covered armrests with integral pull cups are underlined by narrow satin silver moldings while side air bags are concealed in the Pique cloth bolsters.
Designed to accommodate both left- and right-hand drive, the modular instrument panel features twin horizontal Pique cloth wrapover pads divided by a satin silver center stack topped by a fixed navigation screen with non-glare glass. The pads front shallow open storage trays directly ahead of the driver and front seat passenger, with storage for smaller items provided in divided bins below. The center stack also accommodates large, easy-to-use entertainment and heating, ventilating and air-conditioning system controls whose circular elements mimic the exterior lamp detailing, "because," explains Sodano," we sought to create a common style architecture for the exterior and interior." Ten spherical speakers in varying sizes are supplied in the cabin, two on each front door and three on each quarter panel.
The three-circle, six-gauge delta-shaped instrument binnacle with attached hood moves with the steering column while the steering wheel itself features a textured, molded rubber rim and three "tuning fork" spokes that echo the exterior wheels. A freestanding cantilevered center armrest "floats" over the front floor console, pivoting downward to permit unfettered access to the six-speed manual shift lever during spirited driving.
About the Dodge Hornet engine
The Dodge Hornet is powered by a 1.6 liter supercharged engine with 170 hp and 165 lb-ft (224 Nm) of torque (both at 4,000 rpm) driving the wheels through a six-speed manual transmission. The “Tritec” engine comes from the BMW Mini, and was jointly developed by Chrysler and Rover; it is made in a $500 million, highly-automated Brazilian factory which is jointly owned by Chrysler and BMW. While engines from this plant were once used in the Neon and PT Cruiser (export versions only), Chrysler is now selling its share of the output (about half of the plant’s production) to Chinese auto companies, and the New York Times reported that the entire plant might be sold to China (Lifan, the company in question, would move the plant from Brazil into China). This would be a rather short-sighted move, given that the technology in the plant would give an immediate boost to Chinese competitors, but neither BMW nor DCX would say what they planned to do once their joint venture agreement expires, and it does seem likely that the plant will be sold, moved, and most likely reverse-engineered and replicated. The supercharged 1.6 produces more power in less space than the World Engine, but probably costs more to produce. BMW itself is switching to PSA engines once their agreement ends. (Thanks, my.IS, for bringing our attention to information.)
Like all recent Chrylser vehicles, the Hornet is a bit of a porker at 3,100 pounds - considerably more than, say, the Neon - but it sure has get-up-and-go, with 0-60 times estimated at 6.7 seconds (the 1995 Neon was considered very quick at 7.8, and today's standard compacts usually do 0-60 in upwards of 9 seconds; the Chrysler 300 with 250 hp 3.5 V6 does 0-60 in about 8 seconds, by comparison, and the PT Turbo, with five-speed stick, in about 7.5 seconds, while the SRT-4 is "under six seconds").
Dodge Hornet concept car specifications
Estimated 0-60 (0-97 km/h) 6.7 seconds!! Top speed 130 mph (209 km/h) Engine type 1.6 liters 16V, OHC, turbocharged Power 170 hp @ 4000 Motor pair 165 lb-foot (224 Nm) @ 4000 rpm Transaxle 6-speed manual; front wheel drive Top speed 130 mph / 209 km/h Front suspension Independent, McPherson type Back suspension Semi-independent Turning radius 35.1 feet / 10.7 m Wheels and tires 19 x 6.5”; P185/50 R19 Length 3846 (151 inches) Wheelbase 2534 (100 inches) Front overhang 680 (27”) Rear overhang 632 (25”) Width 1932 (76”) Height 1566 (62”) Curb weight 1409 kg (3,106 lb) Approach and departure angles 19.2° /25.9° Comparison: Jeep Liberty 36° / 31°
An alternative proposal for the Hornet
Peter Valdes-Dapena's CNN Autos article talks about the "beloved Cruiser" in its next generation. Unlike many writers, Valdes-Dapena put a good deal of thought into his article on the future of the iconic car. The PT sells 120,000 units per year, largely to people who don't normally buy Chryslers, and makes a good profit without cannibalizing their other sales. Indeed, had the PT been badged as a Plymouth, as it was supposed to be, we'd probably be seeing a larger PT right now based on the Voyager.
When you have a success, why destroy it instead of building on it? Chrysler needs a small car and they need a PT replacement. The ideal would be to re-engineer the current PT for lighter weight and, at the same time, to work on extracting the Hornet from it — a hatchback or small sedan which would have the strengths of the original, fun-to-drive Neon as well as the PT itself; which would cost less to develop and produce than one based on the Volkswagen Jetta; which would be 100% American in the public's perception, not past-generation, discarded, and outdated foreign technology.
Instead of going to VW or Chery, Daimler should go to Chrysler for its Dodge Hornet. It's been right there in front of them all this time: the PT Cruiser. Based off the Neon, the PT transcended the Neon in many ways; now is the time to return. Keep the innovative rear suspension; change the top hat; modernize the safety zones and look for weight savings, and you have a common platform for the Hornet and the next-generation PT. The Hornet would have the sportiness of the original Neon and the reliability of the PT (which has been way up there in quality rankings), and because they've already invested so much in PT engineering, it would probably still be cheaper than adapting another car to meet Dodge needs. It would solve the problem of where to get the next PT, would prevent the Caliber from becoming the 21st Century's K-car - with four variants that are all four doors with a hatch - and would keep the PT fun and interesting.
At least give it a thought. I don't think anyone wants to see Dodge selling recycled Cherys or Hyundais. It's not bold, brash, or American.
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