Stellantis brought back several awards from the 2023 annual Texas Automotive Writers Association (TAWA) Auto Roundup. Held in late March at Eagles Canyon Raceway in Decatur, Texas, Benna CDJR is proud to say that the Lone Star scribes showed some love for Dodge, Chrysler, and Alfa Romeo, bringing home a combined seven awards from the event. Ram and Jeep will likely get their turn when trucks are reviewed at the organization’s Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Dodge Hornet: Crossover Utility Vehicle of Texas
The Dodge Hornet is the newest vehicle introduced across the Stellantis family and takes aim at the very popular compact crossover segment. TAWA took an instant liking to it, giving it the Utility Vehicle (CUV) of Texas title award but also bestowing honors such as Best Value, Best New Interior, and Best New Feature, for a total of four awards. The Best Feature award is for the class-exclusive PowerShot feature, which supplies a burst of 30 horsepower for the electrified Dodge Hornet R/T plug-in hybrid. The R/T has a rear-mounted motor that provides an estimated 30 miles of EV range and a combined 288 hp and 383 lb-ft of torque.
Dodge Challenger SRT Black Ghost: Performance Vehicle of Texas
One of the seven “Last Call” special-edition Challenger and Charger models in their final year of muscle car production, The 807-horsepower Dodge Challenger Black Ghost channels the spirit of a legendary street racer that prowled Detroit’s famed Woodward Avenue in the 1970s. Only 300 of the Black Ghost “Last Call” models will be produced, all in Pitch Black and in Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody form.
Chrysler Pacifica Plug-In Hybrid: Family Vehicle of Texas
Probably the least surprising of the awards, the Pacifica took the Family Vehicle of Texas award for the 6th consecutive year. Minivans are known for carrying out commuting and domestic chores during the week and then being the designated vehicle for road trips, which is a perfect scenario for a plug-in hybrid drivetrain. Yet the Pacific remains the only available plug-in hybrid minivan in the country. The Pacifica PHEV provides an estimated 30 EV miles, 80 MPGe, and more than 500 miles total range. For this and other reasons, the Pacifica is also the most awarded minivan over the last six years, with more than 170 honors and industry accolades since its introduction.
Alfa Romeo Stelvio: Best Mid-Size CUV
For this award, it probably didn’t hurt that votes were decided after the cars were run on the Eagles Canyon Raceway. Because while the Stelvio is a beautiful piece of machinery full of Italian design and elegant detailing, it’s the performance that makes it unforgettable. It isn’t just the 280 hp and 306 lb-ft of torque, it is the character of the engine as you put it through its paces, the sublime feel of the steering as it shows its sure-footedness on the curves, and the confidence one feels from the brakes. The Stelvio is a performance thoroughbred, and TAWA recognized just that.
We thank TAWA for recognizing the special nature of these Stellantis models. Of course, Benna CDJR is where you can see the all-new Dodge Hornet and Chrysler Pacifica Plug-in Hybrid up close and experience them on the road. With production limited to just 300, we may not have a Challenger SRT Black Ghost in stock, but you can experience other Challengers, learn more about the Black Ghost, and put yourself in for a pre-order until they are all spoken for.
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