Ford Bronco Sport Rival Dodge Hornet Possibly Dead Due To Trump Tariffs

Thus far, Ford hasn’t been terribly impacted by tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump on imported automobiles, parts, and certain materials. Those levies did prompt the automaker to raise prices on its trio of Mexican-built models by a modest margin, alter supplier contracts, and potentially hike prices on other models soon, but it will continue to import the Lincoln Nautilus from China, regardless. However, some of Ford’s rivals – such as Subaru – aren’t faring quite as well, and for Stellantis, it could spell the end of the Dodge Hornet, too.

The Dodge Hornet just debuted back in 2023 as a Ford Escape and Ford Bronco Sport rival, but now, Stellantis is pausing production of the 2026 model to “assess the effects of U.S. tariff policies,” according to Automotive News. The Dodge Hornet is built at the Giambattista Vico Assembly Plant in Naples, Italy, which means that it’s subjected to a 25 percent tariff on imported autos in the U.S., a big problem for an affordable, entry-level model that starts out at $31,990 with destination charges included.

Following its debut, Dodge Hornet sales in the U.S. hit 20,559 units in 2024, its first full year on sale, but the small crossover has experienced quite the slide since then. In the first half of 2025, sales declined by a whopping 52 percent, and Stellantis moved just 1,539 units in Q2 – a 64 percent year-over-year drop.

The Hornet came along as part of Dodge’s transition away from the V8-powered muscle cars that helped its fair share of fans years ago, marketed as a sportier alternative to the sea of other small crossovers on the market. The Hornet also debuted as the brand’s very first plug-in hybrid, as well as its first brand-new vehicle in a decade, but now, it may wind up as yet another casualty of the brand’s attempted transition into a more efficient, electrified future.