The Hummer story is one of solid marketing by GM.
First came the Humvee, the M998 High Mobility Multipurpose Vehicle, a 4WD Army workhorse developed in the 1980s. It saw battle time in Operation Just Cause (Panama, 1989) and became a media star in Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Humvees have transported American soldiers in Somalia, the Balkans, Afghanistan and Iraq. The base vehicle saw time in the cinema, and when action star-turned California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger got one, it became a trendy “must-have” for many Americans.
In 1992, AM General began creating Hummers for civilians, and this tough 4x4, closely resembled the Hummvee, cost in excess of $120,000 and got about 9mpg. Tall, wide and tough, it was an impractical vehicle out of the reach of most Americans, but it turned heads.
In 1999, GM bought the name Hummer from AM General and re-named the civilian Hummer the H1, while beginning work on the H2. The H2 came out in 2003; a sports-utility vehicle still tall and wide, and at $80,000 getting about 12mpg, it was still a hard buy for Americans who were enamored with the look and reputation.
Introduced in 2006, the H3 is a true mid-size SUV, economically better at 15-20mpg, and priced to sell, at $30,000-$40,000. GM had found the key … a look and badge with built-in demand, at an affordable price.
The next generation of H3 was a natural. The performance and style crowd that took tuner cars and added power, audio, video, chrome and custom paint was buying Hummers and tricking them out, so GM took aim at the market with the 2007 H3X.
Originally called the H3 Street, the H3X includes hip upgrades as a means of marketing it to the cool, “Pimp My Ride,” “Trick My Truck” audience.
Manufactured in Shreveport, LA, the H3X is an H3 equipped with the Luxury package, that includes chrome tube steps, chrome appearance package and chrome fuel door. Options also consist of 18-inch wheels covered in 33-inch Bridgestone Dueller all-terrain tires, a body-color grille and hard spare tire cover, unique tires, wheels and center cap, a brush guard and non-functional hood louvers. The interior features embroidered headrests. Other options include navigation system, power sunroof and XM Satellite radio service .
The H3X (and its sister, the H3) measures 16.9 inches shorter in length, 6 inches lower in height and 6.5 inches narrower in width than the H2. It is still Hummer-rugged and can ford a 24-inch stream at 5 mph, climb 16-inch vertical steps and rocks and cavort and frolic through water, mud and sandy surfaces.
The H3X has a step-in height of 24 inches, is 186.7 inches long, 85.5 inches wide and 74.5 inches high on a wheelbase of 111.9 inches. It has solid off-road ground clearance of 9.1 inches and a towing capacity 4500 lbs. It IS Hummer tough and dependable.
My Sonoma Red Metallic test vehicle was powered by a 3.7-liter I-5 Vortec engine based on a 3.5 I-5 bored out to 3.7 to increase horsepower and torque by better than 10 percent. The I-5 pumps out 242hp and 242 lbs.-ft. of torque and is EPA rated at 15mpg/hwy and 20mpg/city on regular unleaded fuel. I averaged about 15.5mpg during seven days of rugged testing on highways, in boroughs and on dirt trails. On the track, I was able to coax the 4700-lb. H3X from zero to 60mph in about 12 seconds, but you aren’t looking to the H3X for speed. It is all about style and grit.
You also get extreme safety with the H3X. Safety and security items include a low and steady center of gravity, Stabilitrak stability control, traction control, independent front suspension with torsion bars, multi-leaf spring rear suspension, front and rear recovery hooks, dual front air bags with passenger-sensing system, 4-wheel anti-lock disc brakes, theft-deterrent system, OnStar service, tire pressure monitor, rack-and-pinion steering and fog lamps. Safety upgrades include roof rail airbag system with rollover sensor. The H3X has been given a 5-star frontal crash rating by the NHTSA.
Inside, you get seating for five. Front headroom is 39.9 inches with 37.9 in row two; legroom measures 41.9 for driver and passenger and 35 inches behind; shoulder room is 54.4 up front with 53.5 for row two. Interior features include leather-appointed seating, air conditioning, cruise control, autodimming rearview mirror with compass and temperature indicator, power windows and locks, 8-way power front seats including lumbar, heated seat cushion and back for driver and passenger, leather-wrapped steering wheel, shift knob and boot, 7-speaker Monsoon sound system with amp and rear woofer speakers, AM/FM with CD and MP3 player.
Base price on the H3X is $37,545 and my test vehicle came in at $43,885. While I believe that most performance and style Hummer enthusiasts will buy regular H3s and upgrade them with video, subwoofers, chrome, 20-inch wheels, spinners and extreme mods, the H3X does present an even hipper Hummer than the military would have ever imagined. Next up for Hummer is the H3T … a truck with the same Hummer look and ruggedness.
Visit http://www.CarlisleEvents.com for more on the automotive hobby.
Mike Blake, former editor of KIT CAR magazine, joined Carlisle Events as senior automotive journalist in 2004. He's been a "car guy" since the 1960s and has been writing professionally for about 30 years.
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