Dodge Hornet Build Sheet: GT vs. R/T, Trims and Packages

A Dodge Hornet build sheet tells you which Hornet you actually have: the GT, powered by a 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder, or the R/T, a plug-in hybrid that pairs a 1.3L turbocharged engine with an electric motor and a rechargeable battery. It also shows the trim level, including the Plus version of each, along with the packages, paint and interior installed at the factory. The two versions look nearly identical from the curb, and used listings do not always label them correctly, so the factory equipment record is the quickest way to settle it. Enter the 17-character VIN in the VIN lookup to see the decoded vehicle identity and, when a record is available, the equipment listing with sales codes and descriptions.

GT or R/T: the powertrain split

Because the R/T arrived a year after the GT, a 2023 Hornet is a GT. For 2024 and 2025, either is possible, and the difference matters more than the badge suggests: fueling, charging, weight, maintenance items and how the car drives all change. A basic decode will usually identify the engine and may flag the plug-in hybrid powertrain, but it does not show the trim, the packages or the interior. Those come from the VIN-specific record.

Trims and packages that change what you are buying

Each powertrain came in a standard and a Plus trim. The Plus versions add upscale interior and convenience equipment, so a GT Plus and a base GT can feel like different cars inside even though they share an engine. On top of the trims, Dodge offered packages that are easy to misidentify in a listing:

• Track Pack — performance-oriented chassis and wheel equipment.
• Blacktop — dark exterior trim and wheels, mainly appearance.
• Technology and driver-assistance content — additional safety and convenience features that varied by trim and year.

Feature availability shifted between model years, so what a given trim included depends on when the car was built. Read the package lines on the record rather than relying on a brochure for a different year. Dodge Factory Options by VIN explains how to separate standard trim content from add-on options.

Built in Italy: what the VIN shows

The Hornet was built in Pomigliano d'Arco, Italy, for the 2023 through 2025 model years, on the same platform as the Alfa Romeo Tonale. That is why its VIN begins with Z, the country range for Italy, rather than the 1, 2 or 3 seen on Dodges built in North America. A decode shows the plant and model year as usual.

When a Hornet record is available, it lists equipment as sales codes in the same format as other modern Stellantis vehicles, so an unfamiliar line can be looked up in the sales code navigator. A shared platform does not mean shared equipment: the Hornet and Tonale were configured differently, and the record lists what the Dodge version carries. The name also has history — Hudson and AMC both sold Hornets decades ago — but those are unrelated vehicles and are not decoded here.

Checking a used Hornet

Hornets coming back from leases and trade-ins can look alike and be optioned very differently. Compare the record with the car: badge and powertrain, wheels, seats, roof, paint and interior color. On an R/T, confirm the charging port and whatever charging equipment comes with the car, and check the battery and hybrid-system service history separately, because the build record does not cover condition, warranty status or open recalls.

For a walkthrough of reading the list itself, see Dodge Equipment Listing by VIN. If you are starting from the number alone, the Dodge VIN Decoder page explains what the 17 characters reveal before the build record takes over.