There’s been a lot of excitement lately surrounding the all-new 2023 Dodge Hornet GT. The new C-segment utility vehicle (C-UV) should be arriving in dealer showrooms anytime for those who ordered it in August.
But while we waited, people wondered what the Hornet GT and GT Plus fuel economy numbers would be. Powered by a Hurricane4 engine, a 2.0-liter turbocharged in-line 4-cylinder, the Hornet debuts as the most powerful gas engine in its segment offering 268 horsepower and 295 lb.-ft. Torque (that is, 27 horsepower less, but 35 lb-ft more torque than Durango’s 3.6-liter Pentastar V6).
The same engine was just released under the hood of the 2023 Jeep® Compass, a vehicle that shares the same architecture as the Hornet, but the Compass version made only 200 horsepower and 271 lb.-ft. of torque. Unlike the Hornet, which uses a ZF-manufactured 9-speed 948TE automatic transmission, the Compass is fitted with an 8-speed 8F30 automatic, delivering fuel economy of 24 MPG City/32 MPG Highway/27 MPG. Also like the Hornet, the Compass comes standard with all-wheel drive (AWD), making it standard across its entire line-up.
So how does the much more powerful Hornet GT hold up against the new Compass? City / 29 MPG Hwy / 24 MPG ratings can be achieved. That’s a difference of 3 MPG across the board. But if you know a Dodge fan, and you know the 3 MPG has 68 horsepower and 24 lb.-ft, then you have nothing to worry about. Torque at tap.
Also note that although the Compass has better fuel economy figures, it can run on regular 87 octane fuel. However, if you switch to Hornet, you will need to fill with at least 93 octane premium fuel for best performance (91 octane fuel required).
The 2023 Hornet GT and Compass Sport have a US Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $29,995. Now you can see why both vehicles have completely different specs even though they have the same engine. Hornet serves more performance clouds, while Compass continues to serve “adventure” clouds.