Dodge has officially entered the compact crossover segment with the new Hornet. In typical Dodge style, the Hornet puts the emphasis on sportiness, power, and performance. Similarly, Mazda's crossovers have never been the most practical but their sparkling driving dynamics have led the way in this category for some time. That neatly brings us to a comparison of the Hornet with the CX-5 Turbo.

Comparable in size and power, it's the Hornet that's cheaper by nearly $7,000. We ruled out Mazda's base CX-5 as its naturally-aspirated engine is comprehensively outgunned by the Hornet's powertrains, even its most entry-level ones. But it's Mazda that has more experience in this segment, so can the CX-5 Turbo justify its premium? Let's find out.

Exterior: Different Strokes

Most modern Mazdas have a premium, classy veneer to their designs and the CX-5 is no exception. It may be a few years old now but this is still a pretty SUV with a design that doesn't try too hard. The signature grille and crisply styled LED headlights are smart, and the rest of the lines are smooth and simple. The base Turbo has Gloss Black exterior trim but the Turbo Signature uses body-color elements instead. Dual exhaust outlets and 19-inch wheels are subtle hints that this is the more powerful Mazda CX-5.

Overall, the Hornet expresses its performance potential with more enthusiasm. Integrated hood heat extractors are not exactly commonplace in a segment like this, while the mail slot-style grille opening is another stylistic link to the brand's muscle cars.

The large lower front intake of the Hornet and aggressive lighting signature are more in-your-face than the Mazda, although the Hornet actually runs on smaller 17- or 18-inch wheels. At the back, the Hornet has an illuminated Dodge Rhombi logo in the center. A Track Pack with 20-inch wheels and red Brembo brake calipers is available and gives the Hornet an even racier edge.

Whether the Hornet is actually more attractive than the CX-5 is subjective, but it will likely appeal more to a younger audience than the more sophisticated but restrained Mazda.

Interior: Sporty Vs. Sophisticated

The different approaches of each brand's design department are once again evident from behind the wheel. The Dodge Hornet has a sportier but busier interior layout, whereas the Mazda immediately looks more upmarket. The CX-5 Turbo comes with leather seats and red stitching as standard, but the Turbo Signature feels even more luxurious with its Caturra Brown Nappa leather. The Hornet has cloth and leatherette upholstery as standard along with red stitching, but leather is available on upper trims, and you can even have racy Alcantara seats.

Both of these cars have user-friendly infotainment systems. In Mazda's case, the reliance on physical controls instead of a touchscreen works well, while Dodge's Uconnect 5 system is also simple to navigate. The CX-5 has a standard 10.25-inch center display and a seven-inch LCD meter display, whereas the Hornet uses a more comprehensive 10.25-inch touchscreen and 12.3-inch digital cockpit cluster.

We weren't blown away by the CX-5 Turbo's ten-speaker Bose sound system and expect more from the 14-speaker Harman Kardon unit in Hornet Plus models. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is another nice touch for the Hornet.

Both crossovers come with blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert as standard, but only the Dodge has standard rear parking sensors. The Mazda fights back with standard radar adaptive cruise control. However, it's worth remembering that the Dodge can be optioned with extras to bring the price closer to the Mazda.

With 29.1 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second row, it's the Mazda that has the larger trunk. The Dodge's trunk measures 27 cubes or just 22.9 cubes in the plug-in hybrid R/T model with the most performance. With the rear seats folded, the Mazda also has more space.

Performance: Neck And Neck

The addition of a turbocharged model to the CX-5 lineup did wonders for the crossover. In the CX-5 Turbo, the 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine makes 227 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque - but that's with 87 octane gas. Switch to premium, and those outputs rise to 256 hp and 320 lb-ft. All-wheel drive is standard and the CX-5 Turbo uses a six-speed automatic transmission. It doesn't take much more than six seconds for the CX-5 Turbo to charge from 0-60 mph which is genuinely rapid for this segment.

The base Dodge Hornet GT uses a 2.0-liter turbo-four that makes 268 hp (with premium gas) and 295 lb-ft. With AWD and a nine-speed automatic, it manages the 0-60 sprint in a claimed 6.5 seconds. But the Hornet has another trick up its sleeve in the form of the R/T plug-in hybrid. This combines a 1.3-liter turbo engine with a 90-kW electric induction motor at the back, and peak outputs are 288 hp and 383 lb-ft combined. With a six-speed automatic and AWD, the 0-60 time is 6.1 seconds.

So, there is not much in it at all between the CX-5 Turbo and Hornet on paper. The latter may be more powerful, but it isn't much quicker. However, Mazda doesn't sell a CX-5 PHEV so it can't boast the Hornet R/T's claimed 30-mile all-electric range. At 24 mpg combined for the CX-5 Turbo, we'll have to wait and see if the gas-only Hornet can match that.

From experience, the Mazda's combination of responsive handling and composed ride quality is hard to beat. We'll have to wait to get behind the wheel of the Hornet to see how it compares, but the Hornet promises much with its Koni frequency selective damping shocks and available dual-stage-valve suspension. For the R/T, a Power-Shot function adds a 25-hp boost for 15 seconds. We may be looking at a new driving dynamics class leader here, though.

Price And Verdict: Mazda Feels The Sting

The $29,995 Dodge Hornet GT looks like quite a bargain alongside the $36,850 Mazda CX-5 Turbo. It's more powerful and nearly as quick, and if you want more kit, you can upgrade to the Hornet GT Plus at $34,995 and still undercut the Mazda. Yes, it's possible to drive off in a new Mazda CX-5 for $26,700, but that's a much slower and more basic offering that will be smoked by the Hornet off the line and almost everywhere else.

At $39,995, the Hornet R/T PHEV all but matches the CX-5 Turbo Signature's $39,650 sticker. The Mazda is a more luxurious option but the lack of a hybrid indicates its age. And, with potential incentives, the Hornet R/T will actually be cheaper.

On paper, then, the Hornet makes a strong case for itself alongside one of our favorite compact crossovers. If the driving experience lives up to the hype, it will be the new crossover of choice for the enthusiast who still needs a sensible family car.