The Hornet is essentially the result of Dodge stealing Alfa Romeo's homework. While Alfa had spent years developing a new Tonale crossover on its own, Dodge eventually swooped in and decided to use the same chassis for its cheaper Hornet.

The result here is great for Dodge, but detrimental to the more upmarket Alfa Romeo. The two models are nearly identical to each other inside and out, yet their prices differ greatly. The Tonale stickers at $43,845 to start, while the similarly-equipped Hornet begins at only $31,400.

So as you would probably expect, buyers chose Dodge's cheaper route, and the result is the Hornet outselling its Alfa stablemate by a ratio of more than 10:1––that's 7,419 Hornets sold as opposed to just 728 Tonales. Alfa Romeo executives are, to say the least, not happy.

Image Credits: Dodge

Sales Down 10% Overall For Stellantis

Compared to last year at this time, sales across all Stellantis brands are down by as much as 10%. While Jeep, Chrysler, and Fiat did rather well, Ram, Dodge, and Alfa Romeo weighed down the average.

The steepest declines came from Ram and Dodge, which saw sales drop 26% and 16% respectively. The only vehicle from these brands to see an increase was––surprise, surprise––the new Hornet. Alfa Romeo experienced a decrease in sales as well, but only by 4%. The aforementioned Tonale sits directly in between the Giulia, which fared worse with 640 sales, and the Stelvio, which led the lineup with 917 sales.

Image Credits: Alfa Romeo

As for the rest of the brands under the Stellantis umbrella, the past three months have gone well. That applies to Jeep in particular, which saw sales rise for nearly every model in the first quarter. While it only makes for a 2% increase overall, it's clear that Jeep's efforts to increase sales––namely lower prices and extra equipment––have paid off. The only Jeep models that didn't experience a rise in sales were the Cherokee, which has exited production since the last time Q1 sales were recorded, and the Grand Cherokee, which reported no increase or decrease at all.

Surprisingly, Chrysler and Fiat each reported successful first quarters as well, even though both brands only offer a single aging model. That's not to say the bar isn't low, as the 12% uptick experienced by Fiat came from only 154 sales for the 500X crossover, in comparison to just 138 sales a year ago. Chrysler, meanwhile, saw a 9% increase in sales with its lonely (for now) Pacifica minivan.

Image Credits: Chrysler

Meanwhile, Dodge Somehow Sold A New Viper

You heard that right, a few Stellantis models have risen from the dead this past quarter. 'Zombie' cars, as they are known, are vehicles that have been sold brand new despite having been discontinued years ago. Dodge and Chrysler remain the masters of this trade, as a single new Viper left the lot late last year, along with two Grand Caravan minivans. Chrysler also reported -1 new 200 sedans––we're assuming that means someone opted to return their new car, after realizing it is not in fact new and has been rotting on the lot for at least seven years.