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Dodge PHEV due in 2022 expected to be the Hornet

A relatively new saga involving hornets in the Pacific Northwest begins with the adjective "murder" and gets worse from there. A relatively dated saga involving hornets in the automotive industry begins with the name "Dodge" and is — or could be — much friendlier to plant and animal life. Last year, former Dodge parent company Fiat Chrysler trademarked the term "Dodge Hornet" for the first time. Two months ago, an Italian publication credited its sources with news that current parent company Stellantis will create a Dodge version of the Alfa Romeo Tonale (pictured) and call it the Hornet. Now, Mopar Insiders picked up on Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares sharing a roadmap of the 20 PHEV and battery-electric vehicles coming our way in the next two years between the company's 14 brands. Dodge merits a single PHEV entry in the 2022 column. MI says this will be the Hornet.      As FCA recast its U.S. lineups to give Dodge more focus and give Chrysler a reason to exist, Dodge lost the Caliber, Nitro, and Journey. The way this new report is put, and as we mused a year ago, the coming Hornet will replace the Journey — a space Dodge could do well to return to. Never given much love by the parent company, the Journey turned into a hoary old thing over its 13 years on the market, but sold in remarkable numbers to the end. According to Car Sales Base, sales increased nearly every year for the first nine years of the Journey's life. Even during the sales decline over the last four years of its production life, the Journey found 298,594 homes in the U.S. More than 12,000 zombie units have been moved off lots this year. A Dodge Hornet likely wouldn't offer the Wal-Mart rollback pricing the Journey was known for. Also, the Hornet would pack in just two rows, whereas the Journey offered three. Nevertheless, we're now talking about three vehicles sharing major internal organs; the Alfa Romeo Tonale leans heavily on the Jeep Compass platform and internals, and the Dodge is expected to be built at the same Naples, Italy plant as the Alfa Romeo. The economies of scale are there. As for powertrain, we know there's a Tonale PHEV coming, but it's thought to get its plug-in system from the Jeep Renegade 4xe that's based around the smaller 1.3-liter four-cylinder with either 190 or 240 total horsepower instead of the larger 2.0-liter engine in the Wrangler 4xe.

The Dodge Challenger plays its trump card: all-wheel drive

Perennially stuck in third place behind the Ford Mustang and Chevy Camaro in sales and enthusiast comparisons, the Dodge Challenger is doing something unconventional for a muscle couple. It's adding all-wheel drive. It's a new feature for Detroit's pony cars – none of the three have ever had it – and it could be a game-changer. Called the Challenger GT, the Dodge launches this winter for a starting price of $34,490. The Challenger GT comes with the Pentastar 3.6-liter V6 rated at 305 horsepower and 268 pound-feet of torque. It teams with an eight-speed TorqueFlight automatic transmission and is estimated to get 18 miles per gallon in the city and 27 mpg on the highway. An FCA spokesperson said no manual transmission or V8 models will be offered on the all-wheel-drive Challenger. It will be on display in January at the Detroit auto show. View 8 Photos All-wheel drive is a widely expected addition for the Challenger. The coupe shares underpinnings with the four-door Charger, which offers an all-wheel drive variant and the cars have similar powertrain offerings (the AWD Charger is also V6 and automatic only). Naturally, the Challenger borrows the Charger's AWD system and during regular driving conditions, the front axle disengages and full torque goes to the back wheels, allowing the Challenger to function as a rear-wheel drive car. It automatically goes back to AWD when more traction is needed. Handling is also fortified with a vehicle dynamic control system. Conversely, the electronic stability control has three modes and can be switched off for drift-happy enthusiasts. The GT has features familiar to other Challenger and Dodge owners, including an 8.4-inch touchscreen radio, Performance Pages (accessible through the Super Trak Pack button), and paddle shifters. A Sport Mode changes shift points to improve acceleration. It all rolls on 19-inch wheels wrapped in all-season rubber. The exterior gets a hood bulge, LED head- and taillights, and a decklid spoiler. The Challenger GT also offers a $995-interior package different than RWD models, adding Nappa leather, Alcantara suede seats, a nine-speaker Alpine audio system, performance steering wheel, and more. All of that is just window dressing. It's all-wheel drive that could be a difference-maker for consumers. The Challenger won't likely be able to take down the Mustang, which will finish 2016 as the pony car sales king.

Dodge could return to NASCAR, Marchionne says

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles CEO Sergio Marchionne said he'd "love to" bring Dodge back to NASCAR. The news could signal a potential shift in America's favorite motorsport away from today's three-manufacturer arrangement, but we're wondering just how much sense Dodge's return would make amid NASCAR's dwindling television ratings and attendance figures. It took a visit from Ferrari at NASCAR's biggest icon, Daytona International Speedway, for the Ferrari Challenge World Finals to get Marchionne on the subject of Dodge and stock car racing. When asked about the possibility on Sunday, the FCA boss revealed he'd just spoken to NASCAR executive vice president Jim France the night before about Dodge's return. Dodge announced its NASCAR departure in 2009, as it was in the grips of a major bankruptcy alongside cross-town rival General Motors. While GM's Chevrolet brand stuck it out and won three of the last four manufacturer championships, the final Mopar-powered team flipped to Ford in 2012. Marchionne takes the blame for the decision, citing reasons that are, frankly, very good. "I am the guilty party at the table. In 2009 we came out of bankruptcy; we couldn't [justify] racing in NASCAR when I was trying to pay bills and make payroll," Marchionne said, according to Autoweek. "I think we're in a different place now." NASCAR is in a different place, too. The sport has struggled with disappointing television ratings in the past several years, and it's not uncommon to tune into races at some of the sport's marquee tracks, like Bristol Motor Speedway, and see scores of empty seats. Sponsorship dollars are also drying up. That could explain Marchionne's non-committal follow-up comments. "We need to find the right way to come back in," Marchionne said, adding that he'd revisit the idea with Jim France and International Speedway Corporation CEO and NASCAR board member Lesa France Kennedy "in short order." Related Video: