The Dodge brand is very performance-oriented, as seen by advertisements referencing "the 

brotherhood of muscle" and vehicle names like "Demon" and "Hellcat." The market demands 

family-friendly cars with some concession to in-your-face swagger,

so it's not surprising that Dodge's first electric vehicle is a crossover.

 The new car is called the Hornet, and it comes in a gas-only (GT) model and a plug-in hybrid (R/T) model.

One of the new Hornet's designers, Chris Piscitelli, calls the stinging insect that gave the car its name "a nasty little thing." 

He says it with a sly smile, apparently pleased with the comparison; the five-seater is bursting with purposeful character

The Hornet is a tiny SUV that looks and drives more like a hot hatch than a family vehicle, displaying the Dodge lineage in both respects.