Scoop: Dodge Hornet GLH Concept Will Enter Production This Year

The Dodge Hornet is an attractive and feisty crossover in theory, though it’s proven to be a fickle one in execution. Early cars exhibited serious software issues, particularly the R/T spec with its plug-in hybrid powertrain. Sales finally began to move in the right direction late last year, but 2025 holds promise for the new model for another reason. The nostalgic Hornet GLH Concept from two-and-a-half years ago will soon become a reality, according to Dodge CEO Matt McAlear.

“[The Hornet GLH] was a concept, but you should see it this calendar year. Let’s leave it at that,” McAlear said in response to a question asked by The Drive during a roundtable interview late last month. And if we should credit anyone with making sure the new chief exec keeps his word, it ought to go to his family. “My sons have a Hornet,” McAlear said, “and all the time they’re like, ‘When’s the GLH coming, dad? When’s the GLH coming?'”

Much respect to the CEO’s boys, who obviously know their history. The Hornet GLH was a callback to the Dodge Omni GLH, designed by none other than Carroll Shelby during his Chrysler years. “GLH” stood for “Goes Like Hell,” and the hot-rodded hatch certainly did, offering up to 146 horsepower from a 2.2-liter turbo-four in a vehicle that weighed less than 2,200 pounds. It was an ’80s icon of accessible performance, which is precisely the legacy Dodge appears to want for its entry-level Hornet today.

Interestingly, when Dodge reintroduced the GLH label for the Hornet’s launch in August 2022, it did so with not one, but two concepts, each based on the crossover’s base GT and hybrid R/T trims. These mostly served show car duty to demonstrate what could be possible through Mopar’s slate of Direct Connection parts; Dodge said they incorporated power-bumping “stage kits” and lowered suspensions, but no hard performance numbers were mentioned. Still, they give us hope that the brand might not constrain the label to the Hornet’s priciest configuration.

For reference, the Hornet GT starts at $33,180 and offers 268 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque from its turbocharged, 2.0-liter Hurricane inline-four. Not bad value in raw numbers, especially for a roughly 3,700-pound SUV, but the Hornet R/T starts at $43,240 and gets as high as $49,080 for the range-topping R/T Plus model.

Fortunately, it seems McAlear and company now understand how essential pricing is to a car like the Hornet. “This year, we got a lot of things in play to reposition the price point again,” the CEO said. “We just announced to our dealers that we’re gonna have it start at $29,995, get it back down in MSRP, focus on the ICE models.” New option packages will also break apart “premium content” that is currently bundled into the Plus trims, giving buyers a little more à la carte freedom in speccing their cars.

“Having a value play just to get people on the showroom floor is important, and I think we have to do a better job making our vehicles affordable for the masses,” McAlear continued.

If Dodge can embody that message while also making the GLH a compelling performance proposition, the Hornet could still yet find its way into the hearts and minds of enthusiasts. At least we shouldn’t have to wait long to know how it all plays out.

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