There's no shortage of opinion makers who think GM should throw Hummer under the bus. Especially now as SUV and full-size pickup sales are “readjusting,” and fuel prices are much higher than we'd like. Add to that the political correctness of bashing anything and everything that isn't a hybrid or doesn't get the same fuel economy as any form of crossover vehicle, and you can see why Hummer's had a bull's eye on its back for the last 18 months.
However, as a pickup and SUV guy, I can say this really isn't anything new. In fact, as a pickup and SUV guy on staff at a sports-car-loving, fast-driving, auto-enthusiast magazine, I know there is also nothing new about SUV, 4x4, and pickup bashing. These are purpose-built vehicles for people who have specific design demands outside the realm of quick launches and fast quarter-mile times. I never really understood why it's all right to make a vehicle like the single-purpose Corvette or Viper, but not all right to have a single-purpose full-size SUV or 1-ton truck. Whichever one you're talking about, the majority of its time is spent not running at its maximum potential.
Granted, while Hummer sales and pickup truck sales are doing a sharp nosedive, here comes the newest vehicle from the brand many auto journalists love to hate -- a Hummer pickup truck. On the face of it, it looks like Hummer couldn't have made a worse decision, but let's look at what this vehicle really is and what it's meant to do.
Hummer people and dealers aren't too worried because, even though pickup trucks aren't as hip as they used to be, they are still a functional choice for the work and play crowd. And let's face it, if Hummers are anything, they're function over form. Add to that Hummer buyers, as well as your average pickup truck guy, are some of the most aftermarket-part-friendly buyers on the planet, and you begin to see why Hummer stuck with the project.
Of course, all that assumes this vehicle can really do what Hummers are always bragging about—hit a hard-core 4x4 trail and navigate better than just about any other factory four-wheeler sold. That's what we wanted to find out, and that's why Hummer brought us to the western side of the Sierra Nevada mountains, outside Fresno (near Yosemite, Sequoia, and Kings Canyon National Parks), California. We came to test the 2009 Hummer H3T, most of which were H3T Alpha V-8s with one manual 3.7L I-5, rigs to their limits.
The H3T, like its H3 sibling, has a full-time 4WD system with two other important dash buttons -- one for "High Range Lock," the other for "Low Range Lock." Appropriate for the rocky terrain we were to encounter, several of our H3Ts were equipped with the Adventure Package option that gives them added skidplating, a 4.03:1 low-range transfer case (standard is 2.64:1), 33-in. Bridgestone All Terrain tires, and a new front and rear electric locker, each with a separate engagement button. Essentially, all this armament allows for a more controlled speed, stronger protection, and a huge amount of tractive force where the rubber meets the rock. Good thing, too, because nasty obstacles are what we found on this trail. We had tight tree squeezes, huge boulder climbing to do, and treacherous ruts and tire-swallowing holes to avoid.
H3T Alphas are equipped with the all-aluminum 5.3L V-8 rated at 300 hp and 320 lb-ft of torque. As you might imagine, this is a huge advantage on the steep, extreme terrain trails where torque and gearing are priority number one. Likewise, all Alphas (H3 and H3T) are mated to the 4L60 four-speed automatic transmission and get 4.10:1 ring and pinion gears (3.7L I-5 models get 4.56:1 gears). It's unfortunate that Hummer didn't get the AFM cylinder- deactivation 5.3L V-8 or the new six-speed transmission that GM is putting into all sorts of full-size trucks and SUVs this year. EPA numbers for the V-8s without that technology is rated at 13 city, and 16 on the highway (I-5 models get 14/18 mpg in manual and auto transmissions). With GM's AFM and 6-speed auto, the Hummer could squeeze out another two or three mpg (and probably more) on both sides.
Of note, we did get to experience a manual H3T with the Adventure Package, which gave the vehicle an astounding 56:1 crawl ratio (first gear of 3.06:1 x axle gears of 4.56:1 x low range of 4.03:1). This meant the H3T could basically idle up and around any rock obstacles or off-camber trail section in our way. And we found plenty of rocks to climb, testing just about every inch of skidplating that protected the oil pan, transfer case, and steering linkage. We even got a chance to see head Hummer dude Martin Walsh (Hummer brand general manager) idle his vehicle up a rock so large he had the truck teetering as two tires with about 2 ft of air underneath.
Unfortunately, just moments later, flush with confidence, Martin tried to squeeze past a tree that seemed to reach out and grab at the rear quarter panel, leaving a mark. Some of the Hummer engineers on the drive reminded Martin that he would need to sign that little piece of body damage, lest anybody think they were responsible.
We also discovered, while driving the five-cylinder manual, that Hummer has included a hill-hold assist, where the driver can stab at the brake when on a hill, have it hold its position, allowing the driver to start the vehicle with the clutch depressed while giving the engine some throttle. The system releases the brake in the same proportion that you let out the clutch, resulting in a smooth takeoff up the trail without a stall. Pretty clever actually.
Other clever features we discovered on our 4x4 trail drive included a full-size spare angled a few degrees back for better departure angles, four in-bed storage cubbies for gear or tools, and a backup camera option mounted directly over the receiver hitch to allow for easier trailer hookups -- and works whether the tailgate is up or down. Expect the H3T to be aftermarket- accessory friendly, as we're told most Hummer and pickup buyers spend near $2000 in the first 12 months of owning their vehicle. Again, maybe a Hummer pickup truck isn't such a bad idea after all for a company that's hurting for sales.
Look for H3T models to start production at the end of August and start getting into dealerships by late September. Base models (I-5 manuals) will start at $31,495, while loaded Alpha models (V-8 autos) will begin around $37,000. On the face of it, we're guessing it'll take some time for the Hummer midsize pickup to catch on, but we like the practical-over-fashionable approach they've taken. This is the real deal. And what could be more practical than a 5000-lb truck with a max payload of 1500 lb and a max trailer weight of 6000? And it'll rescue every neighbor you can find stuck up to his axles. Sure, the market isn't going to be very large (Hummer would be happy with 15,000 unit sales), but after driving it in the environment for which it was built, the H3T could have strong repercussions for Hummer and other 4x4 pickup-truck makers for years to come.