In a review two months ago, I swooned over the 2024 Alfa Romeo Tonale because of its Italian pedigree, especially its badging with the Alfa Romeo logo, which I accurately described as “exquisite.”

Now comes the 2024 Dodge Hornet R/T, a re-badged Alfa Romeo Tonale with a few cosmetic tweaks, including application of the Dodge twin red stripes logo. Good ole American muscle cars have their own panache, even though their biggest fans wouldn’t use that word. So, I looked upon that Dodge logo on the Hornet with fondness, if not enchantment.

The Hornet R/T is Dodge’s first electrified performance vehicle. It’s a plug-in hybrid compact SUV with lots of energy, provided by a powertrain delivering 258 horsepower and 383 pound-feet of torque.

Technically, the Hornet R/T has more than 258 horsepower. An on-demand PowerShot feature, activated when the driver pulls both paddle shifters and does a pedal kickdown with the car in Sport mode, supplies a 15-second burst of 30 horsepower, boosting the total to 288 hp. PowerShot is a clever name for the feature, and it’s a fun plaything for the drama-infused driver, but to me it seemed superfluous and borderline gimmicky.

Hornet R/T can travel up to 32 miles in all-electric mode. In hybrid mode, it has a range of 360 miles. The EPA rating is 77 MPGe, and all-wheel drive is standard.

Hornet’s handling is nimble enough to be fun on Snohomish County’s wonderful winding roads, and nice to have in urban settings. On the highway, it keeps things pretty smooth and quiet.

Comfortable seating is available for five people, in varying states of roominess for those riding in the back seat. The cargo area measures a tiny bit shy of 30 cubic feet when second-row seats are in upright position.

Hornet exceeded my cargo requirements for loading-up at the local Tractor Supply store to meet the burgeoning springtime food demands at my makeshift wildlife sanctuary. It also met my personal demands for a wide opening and flat, level floor to make loading and unloading easier.

There are two Hornet Hybrid models: R/T and R/T Plus. The base R/T model is satisfyingly equipped with standard features, too many to mention by name, as the saying goes.

The R/T Plus model adds an eight-way power-adjustable passenger seat, ventilated front seats, a premium Harman Kardon sound system, navigation, HD Radio, voice command, wireless device charging, a sunroof, and a hands-free power liftgate. It also substitutes leather upholstery for the R/T’s cloth and synthetic leather materials.

I drove the R/T Plus model, equipped with three pricey options for the Hornet Hybrid: the Blacktop Package (appearance features, 18-inch wheels), Tech Pack (driver assistance systems), and Track Pack (20-inch wheels, sporty accents and features). They increased the bottom line by about $6,400.

The tester’s spicy and delicious Hot Tamale red exterior color was another $495, worth every penny.

Speaking of money, pricing for the 2024 Hornet Hybrid starts at $42,995. The gas-only Hornet GT, introduced in early 2023, starts at $32,995. I’ll leave it to you to decide if it’s worth every penny.

2024 DODGE HORNET R/T PLUS

Base price, including destination charge: $46,590

Price as driven: $50,710

Mary Lowry is a member of the Motor Press Guild and a member and past president of the Northwest Automotive Press Association. She lives in Snohomish County. Vehicles are provided by automotive manufacturers as a one-week loan for evaluation purposes only. Manufacturers do not control content of the reviews.