Dodge Pauses Production On The Tariff-Impacted Hornet

The Dodge Hornet hasn’t exactly stung the market the way Dodge had hoped. Now the subcompact crossover, one of just three models in the brand’s lineup, is facing an even bigger challenge: Tariffs.

Dodge has just confirmed that it will be postponing production of the Hornet for the 2026 model year. The reason is the cost to the automaker and to the customer as the Italian-built model is subject to the 25% levy on vehicles imported into the US.

Tariffs To Blame For Less Sting In Dodge Lineup

The official statement reads that the company plans to “assess the effects of US tariff policies” on the Hornet. That means that there is no scheduled start to production for model year 2026, Automotive News reports.

Dodge builds the Hornet at a factory near Naples, Italy. The small crossover is a lightly reskinned version of the Alfa Romeo Tonale, which is why it is built at that Alfa plant. It has been imported, along with the Tonale, since it was launched in late 2022.

Some automakers are facing the tariffs with price increases. Others, including Volvo, are reportedly dropping models from their lineup. Sales of the Hornet are likely behind the decision to put the model on hold instead of price increases.

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In its first full year, the Dodge Hornet sold 9,314 units. In 2024, Dodge moved 20,559. An improvement, but still not likely what Dodge was looking for. For comparison, that number is a tiny fraction of sales of the Toyota RAV4, the best-selling SUV in the US at 475,193. The bottom of the top 25 best-selling SUV list was still more than five times what Dodge managed with the Ford Bronco at 109,172.

Sales this year have been even worse. Dodge moved just 5,647 Hornets in the first half of 2025, down 52 percent from last year. The Tonale is not exactly selling like hotcakes either, moving 1,156 in the first half, down 28% from 2024 and moving 3,383 in all of that year.

Subcompact Hornet Had Suboptimal Impact

Dodge pitched the Hornet as a muscle car for the subcompact crossover segment. To help back that up, the aggressively-styled model is available as the GT, which comes with a 268-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder and the R/T, a plug-in hybrid with up to 288 horsepower and 383 pound-feet of torque.

If you’re looking for a Dodge Hornet, it might be tough to find already. Dodge’s inventory search site shows that there are currently 537 units of the 2024 model year Hornet on the lot, and just 1,298 copies of the 2025. That suggests Dodge stopped importing the vehicle some time ago, and inventory has dwindled. Low inventory could also be responsible for slow sales this year.

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Meanwhile, Alfa Romeo has 903 copies of the 2025 Tonale on dealer lots, and just three from 2024. The Tonale will cost a bit more, though, with a starting price of around $36,000 for the luxury model versus $31,000 for the Dodge.

This isn’t the only model Dodge has put the brakes on this year. It also recently discontinued the R/T trim of its Charger Daytona electric. As with the Hornet, Dodge said at the time that it would “continue to assess the effects of US tariff policies.” The Charger Daytona is built in Windsor, Ontario, in Canada.

Source: Automotive News