HOME

NEWS

ROAD TESTS

HOME PAGE


Dodge Hornet concept for Geneva

SHOP ON-LINE
SHOP ON-LINE AT
OPTICAL AND HEARING

RHEMA ON THE ROAD 
CLICK FOR DETAILS
HEAR MOTORING
NEWS ON RADIO




NEXT CAR'S
TOP DRIVE
OF 2005


See it
HERE

Dodge Hornet Concept Car



To advertise
on this page,
contact us
by e-mail
from here.






24th February, 2006


Dodge will inject attitude into another vehicle segment when it unveils an aggressively styled small car concept at the Geneva Motor Show next week.

Rally-ready and eager to go, the new Dodge Hornet concept vehicle is designed to bring to the small car market a unique blending of European sensibility regarding engine size and overall footprint with an American flair for aggressive attitude and flexible interior space.

With its crosshair grille and in your face looks, the Dodge Hornet concept is built on the same DNA as the Dodge Caliber compact car, which will spearhead the brand’s arrival in Australia mid-year, and the Dodge Nitro mid-sized SUV which will arrive in early 2007.

“The Dodge Hornet further demonstrates that bold American styling is relevant in all segments of the market, breaking free from the bland offerings currently available,” said Gerry Jenkins, managing director, Chrysler Group Australia.

“Dodge is a brand on the move, and the arrival of the Caliber mid-year is only the start.

“Over the next three years we will excite customers with a new Dodge around every 6 months,” said Jenkins.



Dodge Hornet Concept Car



Dodge Hornet Concept

"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 rally-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," Moushegian continued. Consequently the Hornet's chunky, wheels-to-the-corner silhouette imparts the fun of assertive motoring to even the most mundane of errands.

With its wide stance, the Hornet is solidly planted on the road. Up front, the signature Dodge crossbar grille is 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. Under the bonnet is a 1.6L 16-valve OHC supercharged I/C four-cylinder engine putting out 127 kW /224 Nm of torque @ 4,000 rpm.

The muscular side view is dominated by the large 19-inch diameter open-section aluminium wheels designed to show off the "mechanicals," including the gold-coloured 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 maximise 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 colours," Moushegian said. "The customer selects the contrasting glass colour of his or her choice as an accent." Inspired by the legendary Dodge Viper, dual "skunk stripes" in Beryllium Gray boldly traverse the bonnet, roof, overhanging rear defuser wing and the tailgate, including the "sky view" sun roof 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 rally 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 rally enthusiasts," said John Sodano, Principal Interior Designer. "Our intention was to maximise 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."



Dodge Hornet Concept Car



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 aluminium 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.

Good-looking as they are, 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 headrestraints 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 tailgate 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 personalise 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 wrap-over 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 centre 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 centre armrest "floats" over the front floor console, pivoting downward to permit unfettered access to the six-speed manual shift lever during aggressive driving.

Tough, brash and eager to be off, the Dodge Hornet concept vehicle brings to the competitive entry-level B-segment market an ideal combination of American fun and European function.

Dodge is the Chrysler Group’s best selling global brand and will become the Group’s third marque in Australia alongside Jeep and Chrysler.



Dodge Hornet Concept Car



Other Dodge news: here.





More news:

Holden At The Brisbane Motor Show
23rd February, 2006
The stunning custom EFIJY will make its Queensland debut alongside current Holden models at the Brisbane Motor Show from Friday 3rd March ..... more

Audi Continues Success: Annual Press Conference
23rd February, 2006
Audi has posted record figures again in the 2005 financial year for revenue, profit before tax, production and vehicle sales ..... more

Lamborghini Murciélago LP640
23rd February, 2006
Automobili Lamborghini will present the passionately developed evolution of the Lamborghini Murciélago Coupé at the 76th Geneva Motor Show next week ..... more

Prince Andrew Visits Rolls-Royce
22nd February, 2006
His Royal Highness The Duke of York yesterday visited the Rolls-Royce Motor Cars manufacturing plant and head office at Goodwood ..... more

Shepparton's Moke Muster
21st February, 2006
The 40th anniversary of Australian Moke production is being celebrated with the first National Moke Muster ..... more

UK Competitor Selected For 2006 G4 Challenge
21st February, 2006
Brian Reynolds, a railway engineer, has beaten two other UK finalists in the Land Rover G4 Challenge to take his place as the UK representative ..... more

Ford's S-Max And Galaxy For Geneva
20th February, 2006
Ford Motor Company today announced the arrival of two all-new interpretations of the modern people carrier. The sporty new Ford S-Max and the spacious new Ford Galaxy ..... more

North America's New Hummer H3 X
19th February, 2006
Less than a year after the H3 went on sale, Hummer has announced, at the Chicago Motor Show, a new model called H3 X, based on the H3 Street Concept ..... more

Volkswagen's Compact AWD Concept Vehicle
17th February, 2006
Volkswagen has revealed its latest design study, the Concept A, a crossover between a sports car and a compact SUV ..... more

Ford Territory SR
17th February, 2006
Ford unveiled a special edition model of its popular award winning Territory at the Melbourne Motor Show – the Ford Territory SR ..... more

Peugeot At The Geneva Motor Show
16th February, 2006
At the 76th Geneva International Motor Show the Peugeot 207 will make its world première and is set to be the ‘star of the show’ ..... more

Opel GT: A European Legend Returns
15th February, 2006
The new two-seat GT features an exciting design with sharply cut lines, rear-wheel drive and a potent petrol-fuelled 2-litre four-cylinder turbo engine with direct injection ..... more

Suzuki WRC Concept To Debut At Geneva
15th February, 2006
Suzuki's concept for a world rally car will be appearing at the Geneva Motor Show next month. It is based on the new SX4 ..... more

Porsche 911 Turbo For Geneva Motor Show
13th February, 2006
Porsche is extending its current product range with the addition of a new 911 Turbo. The sixth generation of the 911 series’ top-of-the-range model will be celebrating its world premiere on 28th February, 2006 ..... more

Thai-built Mitsubishi Truck Exports To Increase
13th February, 2006
Mitsubishi Motors Corporation announced today that the export of the new Triton trucks produced at Mitsubishi Motors (Thailand) Co., Ltd., are to move onto a full-scale footing in the second half of 2006 ..... more

England's Freestream T1 Design Issues
12th February, 2006
As the world’s first road car to exceed 1,000bhp-per-tonne the Freestream T1 is perhaps bound to grab the headlines ..... more

Renault Commitment 2009
12th February, 2006
Renault's President and Chief Executive Officer Carlos Ghosn announced "Renault Commitment 2009," a growth plan whose ambition is to make and sustain Renault as the most profitable European volume car company ..... more

Legendary Caterhams go under the hammer
12th February, 2006
Never ones to follow tradition, British sports car manufacturer, Caterham, are to auction a selection of their most celebrated used Sevens ..... more

NISMO 350Z at the Melbourne International Motor Show
12th February, 2006
Nissan unveils the NISMO 350Z sports coupe fitted with racing and styling parts designed by Nissan’s famed motorsport arm ..... more

Europe's New Chevrolet Epica From Daewoo
8th February, 2006
Europe's new Chevrolet Epica, sourced from Daewoo, is the brand’s first mid-size model to be launched in Europe and will come with a choice of two transversely mounted engines ..... more

Volkswagen Jetta Arrives In Australia
5th February, 2006
This dynamic new sports sedan is an important addition to the Volkswagen model range in Australia and will be a significant sales volume contributor ..... more

Mitsubishi At The Geneva Motor Show
2nd February, 2006
Mitsubishi Motors Europe unveils two radical new concept cars – Concept-EZ MIEV and Concept-X – as well as the striking new Colt CZC convertible at the Geneva Motor Show ..... more

The 75 Most Significant ’32 Ford Hot Rods
30th January, 2006
After nominating 474 individual cars and completing 3 rounds of balloting, a blue ribbon panel of hot rod authorities has selected America's 75 most significant ’32 Ford hot rods ..... more

Nissan Tiida Arrives Next Week
27th January, 2006
Nissan’s Pulsar replacement, the all-new Tiida compact sedan and hatch, arrives in Australia on 1st February, 2006 ..... more

Ford Wins 2006 Monte Carlo Rally
23rd January, 2006
Marcus Grönholm and Timo Rautiainen claimed a masterful victory on their debut in the new Ford Focus RS World Rally Car on the Rallye Monte Carlo over the weekend ..... more

Peugeot 206 Shaping Up For 2006
23rd January, 2006
The year 2006 is shaping up as a great year for the Peugeot 206. With increased specification and lower prices across the range ..... more

Peugeot 207 – The Next Generation
13th January, 2006
Peugeot announces the Peugeot 207, the newest member of the legendary 2 series dynasty. When the Peugeot 206 replaced the legendary Peugeot 205, nobody could have known what a success it was going to be. With over 5.4 million Peugeot 206s produced, it has become the best selling Peugeot ever ..... more

Morgan 4-seater To Return
11th January, 2006
The Morgan 4-seater is coming back! The new model is due to make its debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2006. The new and significantly revised 4-seater ..... more

Aston Martin Rapide Concept Car
10th January, 2006
The Aston Martin Rapide concept is a four-door, high performance coupé of remarkable grace and poise. Based on Aston Martin's unique VH (Vertical/Horizontal) architecture, the Rapide combines the company's commitment to power, beauty and soul with space and practicality for every eventuality ..... more





The Top Drive of 2005!
THE TOP DRIVE
OF 2005!

Review content by Marque/Manufacturer:

Aixam   Alfa Romeo   Aston Martin   Audi   Bentley  BMW   Cadillac   Caterham   Chevrolet   Chrysler   Citroen  Connaught   Dacia   Daewoo  Dodge  Elfin  Ferrari  Fiat  Ford  FPV  Freestream  General Motors  Holden  Honda  HSV  Hummer  Jaguar  Jeep  Kia  Lamborghini  Land Rover  Lotus  Maserati  Maybach  Mazda  Mercedes-Benz  MG  Mini  Mitsubishi  Morgan  Nissan  Noble  Opel  Pagani  Peugeot  Pontiac  Porsche  Proton  Renault  Rolls Royce  Rover  Saab  Saturn  Seat  Skoda  Smart  Subaru  Suzuki  Tempest  Volkswagen  Volvo 





Receive an automotive news summary periodically and more by e-mail,
SUBSCRIBE to our free newsletter here.
Simply send a blank e-mail to lodge your subscription.



HOME PAGE
Click the logo for our home page


E-mail Next Car Pty Ltd

Next Car Pty Ltd   (ABN 47106248033)
Copyright © 2006. All rights reserved.