Roadkill Nights Powered by Dodge has traditionally offered thrill rides in the Dodge Challenger and Charger in SRT® Hellcat and SRT Hellcat Redeye trims, but for the 2024 event, a new off-road ride-along program was added in the form of the Hornet Rally Ride. This dirt course allowed professional drivers to flex the off-road muscle of the new Dodge Hornet R/T plug-in hybrid, from digging through deep mud to popping into the air on some low jumps.
The Dodge Hornet R/T is the brand’s first plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, but in fine Dodge fashion, it is not being marketed as your average compact grocery-getter. Instead, the television commercials focus on the sporty nature and performance features, both of which are rare in the compact SUV segment. Really, although it is the largest segment in the United States auto industry and the quickest growing segment, there are no sporty options unless you look into the higher priced European brands. That is where Dodge enters with the Hornet R/T, a hybrid that accelerates as quickly as some modern V8-powered performance cars. As someone who has driven many vehicles in the segment, along with spending thousands of miles in the Hornet R/T, I can attest that the compact Dodge hybrid SUV is the most engaging driver’s vehicle in that segment.
Evidently, it isn’t enough for Dodge to be the only company that offers a compact hybrid SUV that is fun to drive on the open road – as the performance-minded brand used 2024 Roadkill Nights to showcase the off-road abilities of their electrified crossover. To do so, Dodge introduced the Hornet Rally Ride, allowing attendees of the unique automotive festival to ride along on the same dirt course that was used by the Ram 1500 TRX at past events.
The dirt drive started on the pavement, but the Dodge Hornet R/T quickly had to begin digging through the dirt when the driver cut into the first corner. After a series of sharp turns, the hybrid SUV climbed a small hill and crested a rise before cruising through a section that allowed the vehicle to build a bit more speed in the dirt. There was then a series of several more small jumps that allowed the Hornet R/T off of the ground (also showcasing the abilities of the factory suspension to handle some serious abuse) and a long, sweeping turn that the drivers would drift through – throwing dirt high into the air in the process. In short, the Dodge Hornet R/T plug-in hybrid electric vehicle proved itself to be an impressively capable rally car.
For those wondering, the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye and Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye thrill rides were also offered at Roadkill Nights 2024, with the team of drift-happy professional drivers roasting the tires around the M1 Concourse skidpad with the cars packed with thrilled passengers.
In total, more than 4,900 people participated in one of the thrill ride programs, and while we don’t have numbers for the Hornet Rally Ride on its own, it had a similar line to that of the Challenger/Charger drift rides all day long. Frankly, I was shocked to see how well the new Hornet R/T hybrids dug through the dirt and handled the impact of landing after jumps for hours on end, and in speaking with some of the folks who rode along, they were also surprised at the level of capability displayed on the dirt course.
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