Street Lines: 2024 Dodge Hornet R/T Plus

During our review of the debut of the 2023 Dodge Hornet GT& here, we were impressed with the compact-utility vehicle’s style including the signature “mail-slot” style grille, vehicle-width taillamp, 268 horsepower, and overall thrill to drive. In 2024, we get the R/T Plus, an updated version of the Hornet that shows Dodge’s aspiration to provide an earth-friendly, hybrid plug-in model.& Exterior Hornet badging on the Blacktop Package. Still embracing a lot of the physical characteristics of the precious year’s introduction, plus a responsive powertrain flexing 288 horsepower from a 1.3-liter,& I-4& turbo PHEV engine, the five-seater R/T Plus­­—standing for the “Road and Track” series that has more performance than a standard version but just below the track-terrorizing SRT trims­—puts a lot of emphasis in gas conservation. With an EPA-estimated 77 MPG-equivalent in combined city/highway miles when utilizing the hybrid capability, and 26 MPG if driven solely in gas mode. (Note that the Hornet can go approximately 30 miles on solely battery power.) I strongly recommend anyone considering the electric vehicle sector to entertain owning a hybrid first to get an idea on how electricity works with a vehicle; getting gas is always an option with hybrids. The R/T Plus is...