Dodge Trademarks “Hornet” Name, Likely for a New Crossover or SUV

With the coming demise of the Grand Caravan minivan, the Dodge lineup will soon consist of only four vehicle lines: the Challenger coupe, Charger sedan, Durango three-row SUV, and the smaller Journey crossover (which also is likely dying soon). That’s a better picture than Chrysler, which is down to only the 300 sedan and Pacifica minivan, plus the Voyager, which is really just a trim level of the Pacifica, even if the newest model left in Dodge’s stable is the nearly decade-old Durango. 

In other words, Dodge needs help, or at least a more fleshed-out U.S. lineup. Fortunately, recent trademark applications by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) point to a possible addition to this American brand’s tired model line. Earlier in the month, FCA applied for trademarks for both “Hornet” and “Dodge Hornet” with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The company applied for the same marks in Mexico and Canada, as well. While we’re not sure what exactly the Dodge Hornet is, we do believe the model—should it come to fruition—is likely specifically targeted toward North American buyers. 

What might a North American-specific new Dodge product look like? Well, probably a crossover of some sort. The last time Dodge dusted off the Hornet name (which originally graced an AMC model decades ago), the brand slapped it onto a subcompact hatchback concept car in the mid-2000s. This time around, however, with small crossover and SUV sales skyrocketing (and Dodge without any offerings of the sort) we presume the Hornet name may adorn a compact crossover. 

Of course, the Hornet name could also christen a different sort of vehicle entirely; possibly a larger crossover that shares components with the Chrysler Pacifica and Voyager, which are built at the same Windsor, Ontario assembly plant as the soon-to-be-deceased Grand Caravan. After all, FCA’s minivan plant will surely have additional capacity to produce another vehicle once the Grand Caravan is out of the picture, and using key components from the other vehicles it produces in the Windsor factory would surely lower the company’s development costs.

That said, there’s always the chance the Hornet name graces a PSA Group product. With the merger of FCA and PSA Group progressing, it’s possible the latter company will attempt to send some of its smaller, Euro-derived products to North America wearing market-familiar Dodge badging.

We’ve reached out to Dodge about the implications of the Hornet trademark, but have yet to hear back. Until then, we’ll just have to guess what shape a future Dodge Hornet might take.