All Cars, All the Time

Dodge Hornet Concept







One of the cars that surfaced while I was on vacation was the Dodge Hornet concept. The first thing that I wondered about this concept is if it would be the lovechild of VW and DaimlerChrysler? VW and DC have both commented that they’d like to have more shared vehicles like the forthcoming minivan and a B-segment car would definitely be at the top of the list.

When I saw the Hornet, I immediately thought of plus sized Mini Cooper. The specs of the Hornet (H) as compared to the Mini Cooper S (M):
Length: 151.4”(H) 143.9”(M)
Width: 76.1”(H) 66.5” (M)
Height: 61.6”(H) 55.8”(M)
Weight: 3100#(H) 2678#(M)
Engine: same engine? Both are 1.6, supercharged, 170hp DC/BMW have a joint operation in Campo Largo, Brazil that supplies engines to the current Cooper. The next generation Cooper will move away from this engine and the plant maybe be sold to and chopped up by the Chinese carmaker, the Lifan Group.

With the extra helpings of space comes the cost of added weight so the taller Hornet wouldn’t be as go cart like as the Cooper, but would have more practicality, especially with the added doors.

The Cooper has definitely shown that a stand out design and marketing campaign equals success in the marketplace. Of course the Mini name has cachet that the Hornet could only dream of, but a lower sticker price could even things out.

I like the styling details of the Hornet. The blue tinted glass is great. I always stop to look at Mercedes C Class models with blue tinted glass, especially in red. Having optional glass tints would be a great stand out feature. One of the Hornet designers said that he studied space capsule interiors for space efficiency tips. The press release goes on to talk about first aid kits and open and closed bins in the door, but I don’t see much in the way of stand out features in the interior. Stand out or no, I do like overall look of the Hornet’s interior. If a production model could retain this design with being too watered down, it would definitely be a plus when compared to many competitors.

I am a big fan of small, space efficient cars. I would definitely welcome the Hornet and would certainly consider it as a commuter.