Friday 20th May 2005

New Hummer is coming your way

Less macho H3 rolls out -- towards Europe

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Hummer H3 rolls towards Europe

Following Tuesday's invasion of the Range Rover plant by Greenpeace activists who described the factory as an environmental crime scene, this week's roll-out of the first production Hummer H3s will generate apoplexy.

Paul Davis Flora, who works on the assembly line at GM's Shreveport plant and helps build the H3, was the first buyer of the new Hummer. "I think this will fit me real good," Flora said.

The massive SUV, which extracts between 16-20 miles out of each US gallon, has already generated plenty of heat, and has polarised opinions like almost no other vehicle before or since with its image of conspicuous redundancy or butch machismo, depending on which side of the fence you're on. For environmentalists, the Hummer is the epitome of what's wrong with the automobile.

However, all publicity is good publicity, and sales of the H2 rocketed beyond GM's most ambitious expectations, more than doubling in 2003 to 34,529. Last year though, they dropped to 29,898, perhaps as a result of a slow-down in the US economy and an increase in fuel prices -- it's up to $2 (a whole £1.08: bless) per US gallon in places -- or maybe an environmental backlash.

Hummer H3

Costing just $29,500 in the US -- a trifling £16,000 in the UK -- the fourth Hummer’s introductory price includes standard equipment such as full-time electronic four-wheel drive, GM’s award-winning OnStar safety and communication system, and a five-speed manual transmission, a first for Hummer. H3 is also covered by Hummer’s premium four-year/50,000-mile warranty plan.

However, the new H3 will remain unmistakably a Hummer, but the styling has been toned down, it's a bit smaller, and it doesn't look quite so massive and menacing.

In the US, the new H3 will be available with two optional packages – Adventure and Luxury. The Adventure Series includes off-road performance equipment such as 33-inch tyres, a 4:1 electronic transfer case and locking rear differential. The Luxury Series includes amenities such as heated leather seats and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. The Adventure and Luxury series can be combined, as well, for a truck offering the best of both worlds.

Options such as four-speed automatic transmission, sunroof, XM Satellite Radio, 6-disc CD changer and Monsoon speakers are available throughout the complete H3 range.

But the Hummer H3 will be a global vehicle, according to General Motors, which recently announced that its $100 million factory in South Africa will be assembling the chunky SUVs for markets in Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa (EAPMEA), using parts made in the US. Assembly of the H3 is set to begin during the last quarter of 2006 and annual production for export could eventually exceed 10,000 units per year, according to GM EAPMEA boss Maureen Kempston Darkes.

Hummer H3 sales will begin in Europe in the second half of 2005. Initially, H3 will be the same basic configuration as in the US, with a 3.5-litre inline five-cylinder engine with an output of 220bhp at 5,600rpm. When the South African factory's production kicks in, the H3 will get additional features -- and almost certainly a higher price. A diesel engined version is a certainty.

If you must have one, Kroymans in the Netherlands plans to setup 50+ dealerships solely dedicated for marketing Hummers, and will set up 15 Hummer centres in large metropolitan areas.

Can it succeed? Some say it was a fad that has run its course, though the General will hope the fad is exportable and that the H3 will move into more mainstream market segments.

• Greenpeace story

[cotty]

Still doesn’t come with a roof mounted mini-gun and rocket propelled grenade launcher, I think I prefer the armoured SUV I think its called the super truck, defence and offence capabilities

[cotty]

Acually looks a little wimpy to me, try one of these just the thing for popping the kids off at school.
www.f650supertruck.com/



Just to show you the size

[zumbruk]

I'd still rather have a Unimog.

[RickH]

And just having had a look round this site:

cotty said:

www.f650supertruck.com/

I found an even better one for causing Greenpeace to go into fits, check THIS baby out:



7.2l limited to 2400rpm, 6-speed auto double overdrive (whatever that means - 18 gears?), twin 50US Gal tanks (378.5litres ie £335.30 to fill with diesel), 26,000lbs weight, $147,000

Damn

[branflakes]

If you want to give Greenpeace a heart attack, send them to have a look at the International CTX - the worlds largest pickup truck...

[greg_D]

That thing is awesome, i have to drive past a F350 in my MX5 most days and that is big enough, that thing must be gargantuan. Me wants...........

Greg

[faniskapetanakis]

Efficiency vs Effectiveness

The business strategy of the U.S. based manufacturers is very smart I must say. Instead of offering efficient vehicles, they offer effective vehicles.

For example, let's assume that a manufacturer wants to produce a vehicle with 250hp.

The European based manufacturer will most probably use a Naturally Aspirated V6 about 3500cc or a Turbo/Super Charged 2500cc.It will most probably have Sophisticated systems such as Variable Valve Control etc.(Efficient Design-Minimum Input for Given Output)

On the other hand the American based manufacturer will use a 5000cc V8 push-rod with and technology that was used in the '30s. (Effective Design- Achieve the target output no matter what the input is)

I'm not judging any of the above tactics. They both are successful in their markets.

The point I'm trying to make is that the Hummer uses shitty technology, nevertheless it is a very tempting car, as it costs only $30,000. It might not have efficient engine, as it produces 50bhp/liter or sth, but it certainly is money-efficient.

[summit7]

It will sell cos it offers something little else can - whether its a good car or not. The enviros are right in a sense - theres no point in building a car like it from a pure lets look after the world point of view but then it sells cos from an individual point of view some people want to go to the extreme - where's the correct middle ground?

[andy242424]

It great to see the world isn't ready to get on its knees to the environmentalists. The notion of big cc's and big vehicles is still a concept surviving into the 2000s, and it's clear that not everyone finds 'small' all that fashionable or desireable. Serious performance car makers rarely produce cars powered by smaller engines. It's all very well engineering smaller engines to produce more power, but the fact is you wouldn't rely on a smaller engine to power a large and heavy vehicle. It's a question of flexibility and torque across the rev range, and highly-stressed smaller engines are not a safe bet in highly demanding circumstances. Okay, so most people don't really have a need for a vehicle that produces results in the most demanding circumstances, BUT most people don't really need more than an apartment to live in, but that doesn't stop them from wanting something bigger, with more space, more comfort and more of a 'feel good' factor. We don't all buy what we NEED; we buy what we WANT - if we can afford it.

You've also got to remember that all big, modern V8 engines HAVE to conform to modern emission standards, and there are plenty of Hummers etc. in California, where emission standards are stricter than in most places.

What will all the environmentalists droan on about when big also means clean! I guess it will then be an issue of how much planet space you are using up, or how much steel or fibreglass your car consumed in the construction process. As with all things in life, the people who gripe and complain about the "way things are" will always find something else to justify their natures. Until we live under a Communist society, we are all free to express ourselves with individual choices, tastes, and decisions. Environmentalists can buy their Smart Car..... I'll have an Army Hummer!

[Badcow]

CO2 is not considered a polluant, so there's no problem with a car that do 10 mpg just bringing your 80 kg of meat from A to B... (just because you need 2000 kg of hardware to do that).

I still prefer a ginetta G27 for the same task.

[lap_time]

I mean seriously, what is the point of these things? They're like two lanes wide, guzzle fuel like there's no tomorrow and are slow as. How about you buy a used C43 AMG for driving around and a used Jeep for going bush? The AMG could hold close to the same amount of people with the same amount of luggage, would smoke the Hummer in performance and the Jeep could waste the Hummer off road (the Jeep actually fits on most trails y'see )

>> Edited by lap_time on Sunday 22 May 12:57

>> Edited by lap_time on Sunday 22 May 12:58

[shadowninja]

lap_time said:

I mean seriously, what is the point of these things? They're like two lanes wide, guzzle fuel like there's no tomorrow and are slow as. How about you buy a used C43 AMG for driving around and a used Jeep for going bush? The AMG could hold close to the same amount of people with the same amount of luggage, would smoke the Hummer in performance and the Jeep could waste the Hummer off road (the Jeep actually fits on most trails y'see )

You forget one thing. Most 4x4 owners don't use their vehicle for 'going bush'.

[henrycrun]

Dummer ?

[lap_time]

shadowninja said:

lap_time said: I mean seriously, what is the point of these things? They're like two lanes wide, guzzle fuel like there's no tomorrow and are slow as. How about you buy a used C43 AMG for driving around and a used Jeep for going bush? The AMG could hold close to the same amount of people with the same amount of luggage, would smoke the Hummer in performance and the Jeep could waste the Hummer off road (the Jeep actually fits on most trails y'see ) You forget one thing. Most 4x4 owners don't use their vehicle for 'going bush'.

yeah thats true. most are used by wives in the role of 'urban assault vehicle'.

[Hans Gruber]

faniskapetanakis said:

On the other hand the American based manufacturer will use a 5000cc V8 push-rod with and technology that was used in the '30s. (Effective Design- Achieve the target output no matter what the input is

You have it backwards. Over head cam technology predates the pushrod design by over 50 years, so infact the pushrod is newer.

Also power per litre has nothing at all to do with the efficiency of an engine.

faniskapetanakis said:

The point I'm trying to make is that the Hummer uses shitty technology,

Such as????

faniskapetanakis said:

nevertheless it is a very tempting car, as it costs only $30,000. It might not have efficient engine, as it produces 50bhp/liter or sth, but it certainly is money-efficient.

It has a 3.5L making 220hp, that is not 50hp/L.Heavy vehicles like SUV's need torque that one does not get with small engines with high hp/L which have useless peaky powerbands.

[NAPiston]

andy242424 said:

You've also got to remember that all big, modern V8 engines HAVE to conform to modern emission standards, and there are plenty of Hummers etc. in California, where emission standards are stricter than in most places.

Unfortunately that's not true. Emissions and mileage rules in the US only apply to vehicles under a certain gross weight, even in California.

The reason behind this exemption was to help the relatively small percentage of commercial vehicles that needed large engines that couldn't reasonably be expected to meet emission/mileage standards. This was to help out farmers/contractors that needed them. The H1 and H2 Hummers are both fall into the overweight exemption; I don't know about the H3.