Hummer H3

The Hummer H3 is a SUV/Sport Utility Vehicle from General Motors' Hummer division produced from 2005 to 2010. It is based on the GMT355 underpinning the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon compact pickup trucks. Produced at GM's Shreveport, Louisiana factory and the Port Elizabeth plant in South Africa, the H3 is the smallest among the Hummer models, and the first to be built by GM. It was available either as a traditional midsize SUV or as a midsize pickup known as the H3T.

It competed with the BMW X5, the Audi Q7, Mercedes G-Class and the Range Rover. Hummer also manufactured the bigger H1 and H2. 

Powertrains

The H3 was launched with a 3.5 liter straight-5 cylinder L52 engine that produced 220 hp (160 kW) and 225 lbf·ft (305 N·m) of torque and was mated to a standard five-speed manual transmission or an optional Hydra-Matic 4L60-E four-speed automatic transmission. In 2007 this engine was replaced by 3.7 liter LLR that produced 242 hp (180 kW) and 242 lbf·ft (328 N·m) of torque, figures that were revised in 2009 to 239 hp (178 kW) and 241 lbf·ft (327 N·m). Under revised EPA testing standards when equipped with either transmission this straight-5 engine achieved 14 mpg_-US (17 l/100 km) in the city and 18 mpg_-US (13 l/100 km) on the highway with a combined average of 15 mpg_-US (16 l/100 km). Available solely with the automatic transmission, a 5.3 liter LH8 V8 engine producing 300 hp (220 kW) and 320 lbf·ft (430 N·m) of torque was added in 2008 for the Alpha model and delivered slightly lower fuel economy, estimated at 13 mpg_-US(18 l/100 km) in the city, 16 mpg_-US (15 l/100 km) on the highway, with a combined average of 14 mpg_-US(17 l/100 km).

Capabilities

Hummer H3 showing external spare tire

The H3 featured a two-speed, electronically controlled full-time four-wheel drive system that made it suitable for both on-road and off-road driving. Electronic locking front and rear differentials were optional. Like the Hummer H2, the H3 can ford 24 inches (610 mm) of water (tested in depths up to 31 in or 790 mm) at a speed of 5 miles per hour (8.0 km/h) and 16 inches (410 mm) of water at a speed of 20 miles per hour (32 km/h). Standard ground clearance is measured at 9.7 inches (250 mm) while the approach, departure, and breakover angles are measured at 37.4°, 34.7°, and 22.1° respectively, allowing the H3 to scale a 16-inch (410 mm) vertical wall and negotiate grades of 60% and side slopes of 40%. Front and rear recovery hooks were standard, with an optional trailer hitch and wiring harness.

Maximum towing capacities were 3,000 pounds (1,400 kg) for the straight-5 with manual transmission, 4,500 pounds (2,000 kg) for the straight-5 with automatic transmission, and 6,000 pounds (2,700 kg) for the V8 with automatic transmission. Cargo volume with the second-row seats in the upright position was 25.0 cubic feet (0.71 m³) that could be expanded to a maximum of 62.8 cubic feet (1.78 m³) when the seats are folded down. V8 models featured the lightest maximum payload capacity of just over 1,100 pounds (500 kg) while straight-5, manual transmission models allowed the greatest payload at 1,300 pounds (590 kg).

Safety

Electronic stability control, anti-lock four-wheel disc brakes, brake-controlled traction control, LATCH child-seat anchors, and tire-pressure monitoring were standard features on the H3. Side-curtain airbags were optional until 2008 when they were made standard across. The H3 was rated Acceptable, the second highest rating, by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in both frontal offset and side-impact crashes (with side airbags) and Poor, the lowest rating, for rear-crash protection/head restraints.

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gave the 2008 H3 the following scores:

Frontal Driver: 

Frontal Passenger: 

Side Driver: 

Side Rear Passenger: 

AWD Rollover : 

H3T

2009 Hummer H3T

The Hummer H3T is a mid-size pickup truck that was available during the 2009 and 2010 model years.

The vehicle was originally shown as a regular cab (two-door) concept pickup truck in 2003, that was shown at the 2004 Los Angeles Auto Show. The production five-passenger four-door crew-cab production version appeared at the 2008 Chicago Auto Show. The H3T featured a 5-foot bed with built-in storage boxes and came in standard H3T, H3T Adventure, H3T Luxury, and H3T Alpha (with cloth or leather trim) trim packages.

A road test by Motor Trend reported the 2009 truck "crawled up rock steps, ran through sand washes, and navigated steep ledges with confidence and capability to spare." They described its turning radius "uncomfortably wide" and said "at highway cruising it would've been nice to have a faster, firmer feel.

Yearly U.S. sales

Calendar year	H3	H3T	Total
2005	33,140	0	33,140
2006	54,052	0	54,052
2007	43,431	0	43,431
2008	20,681	692	21,373
2009	5,487	2,046	7,523

International markets

In 2007, GM South Africa launched their first Hummer production facility in Port Elizabeth. The plant manufactured the Hummer H3 for the South African market, as well as units exported to Asia and Europe. This plant also manufactured a right hand drive version for the Australian market between 2007 and 2009. Throughout Australia, Hummer was distributed by GM Holden via specialist dealerships that were also affiliated with the Saab brand.

Motorsports

Robby Gordon competed in the 2010 Dakar Rally in a highly modified H3, finishing eighth overall.

Plug-in hybrid

In early 2009, Raser Technologies and FEV built a prototype plug-in hybrid H3 that could achieve up to 100 MPG given enough main power. This vehicle, known later as the Electric Hummer H3, was later showcased by California State Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger at a press conference at the State Capitol in Sacramento as part of a campaign to promote greener vehicles.

End of the H3

At the end of February 2010, General Motors announced it would begin dismantling the Hummer brand. After filling a rental-car fleet order, the last Hummer H3T rolled off line at Shreveport on May 24, 2010.

Hummer H1

The Hummer H1 is a civilian off-road vehicle based on the M998 Humvee, which was created by AM General. The vehicle was produced from 1992 through 2006, and was the first of what became the Hummer line. It was initially known only as the "Hummer"; however, in 1999 in a joint venture between General Motors and AM General, GM began marketing the Hummer H2, which was built on a heavily modified GMC 2500HD chassis. It was at this point that the original Hummer was given the H1 designation. For collectors, the most desirable model is the H1 Alpha, produced in the final model year of 2006. It had the most powerful engine and the best fuel mileage of the H1 vehicles. Overall, the H1 was a very limited production vehicle.

"Originally designed strictly for military use the four-wheel-drive utility vehicle was released to the civilian market due to popular demand. Boasting 16 inches (40 cm) of ground clearance as well as super-aggressive approach and departure angles, the Humvee could clamber over a 22-inch (56 cm) high obstacle, handle a 60 percent grade and wade through up to 30 inches (76 cm) of water."

It had an extreme offroad capability which put it in the same league as the Jeep Wrangler, Land Rover Defender and the Mercedes G-Class, especially the G63 AMG 6x6.

History

Originally released in the civilian market March 14th 1992, the Hummer H1 owed its birth to the popularity of photos from Operation Desert Storm and the enthusiastic campaign from actor-politician Arnold Schwarzenegger, who owns several variants of Hummer vehicles. AM General announced that 2006 would be the last model year for the Hummer H1, with production winding down in June 2006 due to a new emission law for diesel engine vehicles, which took effect in 2007.

Specifications

The Hummer H1 has three common variants: a convertible-like soft top, a four-door hard top Sport Utility Truckand an Alpha Wagon body version. Other less known variants include a two-door pickup truck, most commonly seen in the military sporting Anti-Air turrets and other launchers, or used as troop and cargo transports, and a four-door slantback, which shares the same body style of the Humvee employed by the U.S. Military. The convertible/soft top and the station wagon versions were the last ones available in the mass market. The two-door and four-door pickup versions are only available in fleet livery.

Currently, five engine types and three automatic transmission types can be found in Hummer H1s. The common engine/automatic transmission combinations are:

• 6.2 L GM Diesel V8/GM TH400/3L80 3-speed
• 6.5 L GM Diesel V8/GM 4L80-E 4-speed
• 5.7 L Vortec 5700 gasoline V8 TBI/GM 4L80-E 4-speed
• 6.5 L turbo GM Diesel V8/GM 4L80-E 4-speed
• 6.6 L turbo Duramax LLY V8 turbo Diesel/Allison 1000 5-speed (model year 2006)

The Hummer H1 shares some common driveline parts with its HMMWV brethren. Items like brakes, axles, frame and major body panels (hood, tailgate and quarter panels) are identical between the HMMWV and the Hummer H1. All Hummer H1s and HMMWVs come off the same assembly line, and then civilian H1s get painted and finished in a separate building across the parking lot.

Hummer H1s are unique in the way they handle off road, and in their interior arrangement. Passenger and highway comfort are sacrificed for maximum mobility compared to civilian SUVs, with features much more radical than the original Jeep, though they do share a similarly cut simple grille opening. They are inherently very stable, thanks to their wide track. They can ford 30 inches (76 cm) of water and climb a 22-inch (56 cm) step. Their stock ground clearance of 16 inches (41 cm) is made possible by tucking driveline components inside a channel in the central space between the left and right seats. They have high approach/departure angles of 72/37.5 degrees. Most H1s are equipped with a Central Tire Inflation System (CTIS), which enables the driver to increase or decrease the tire air pressure at the push of a button, since lower tire pressures are more suited for off road, and higher tire pressures are desirable on-road.

Hummer H1s have many unusual features. They use inboard brakes. They have portal gears, allowing the drivetrain's half shafts to be up high for greater clearance. The radiator is up high, sloping back over the engine on a forward hinged hood. The air intake is mounted high, enabling fording waist-level water. Rather than using simple runflat tires, magnesium-aluminum alloy or rubber inserts are an optional feature for runflat ability. A chemical agent resistant coating, or CARC, is available only on the military version.

2006 Hummer H1 Alpha

Hummer H1

The "Alpha" was an extensively re-engineered H1 that was equipped with GM's Duramax Diesel and 5-speed Allison transmission. The previous version of the H1 with the 6.5L "Optimizer" turbo-diesel engine suffered from sluggish sales; lack of power was one of the reasons for customer resistance. In 2002, AM General CEO Jim Armour took the idea of repowering the H1 to Bob Lutz and the GM Luxury Vehicle committee. GM soon approved the use of their Duramax/Allison powertrain for the H1. This would support the continuation of the H1 as the grandparent of the Hummer portfolio; it would also allow AM General to give the truck a much needed dose of updating in terms of power, torque, refinement and the ability to meet 2004 heavy duty EPA emissions requirements.

The update program commenced in late 2002 with production launch slated to be fall of 2004. The engineering team chose the engine variant out of the GMT560 truck (the C4500) because it packaged better into the H1 engine bay; however, 23 engine component changes were required and the team had to do a 2.0 in (51 mm) body lift to accommodate the taller engine and its turbo housing (a prior 0.5 in (13 mm) lift had been done for MY96 to accommodate the turbo on the 6.5L engine). The GMT560 engine calibration was used with minimal modification; engine output was 300 hp (220 kW) and 520 lb·ft (705 N·m) of torque. Due to the Duramax engine being equipped with cooled exhaust gas recirculation and an internal engine oil cooler, the team had to deal with a 40 percent heat rejection increase to engine coolant. However, they were unable to increase the size of the cooling pack between the air-lift brackets that protrude from the hood. This meant dramatically re-engineering the fan system by putting the fan directly under the coolpack and driving it through a special gearbox directly off the crankshaft damper pulley. Several other cooling system modifications were required to assist with cold starting from −30 °F (−34 °C).

Other major modifications included the use of special high-strength steel in the chassis frame, a more powerful steering gear; quieter axle differentials, redesign of the geared hubs to use quieter helical gears, new induction, exhaust and electrical power systems; and re-engineering of the fuel supply and filtration system.

Off road the much higher torque of the engine, combined with a lower gearing ratio (about 44.5 to 1 in low lock), made the truck much more powerful. The Duramax engine delivered more torque at lower engine speeds than the 6.5L, so the team actually had to calibrate the torque management to protect certain driveline parts. This new torque profile coupled with centralized tire inflation and AM General's new interior resulted in the complete re-engineering of everything except the carryover body made of aluminum beams and panels.

Production launch was early in 2005, and continued until production ceased in mid-2006. All vehicles built during this time are classified as model year 2006 (10th digit in VIN is a 6.)

The program was cancelled May 12, 2006 because GM decided to withdraw technical and financial support for future engineering and recertification.

Price

A Hummer H1 Alpha Convertible in morning mist.

In the original 1992 production run, the price of the basic open-top was $40,500 while a fully loaded wagon with all options was $54,700.

In 2006, the suggested retail price was $129,399.00 for the open-top; the wagon was $140,796.00, H1 Alpha was priced at $150,975.00.

The Hummer brand

On June 2, 2009, General Motors attempted a sale of its Hummer brand to a Chinese company, Tengzhong, as part of its bankruptcy settlement. GM stated at the time that it hoped the sale would save about 3,000 jobs in the US, after sales of the brand suffered despite its military image because of its low fuel economy.

On February 24, 2010, General Motors announced that the company was shutting down its Hummer brand due to Tengzhong withdrawing its bid. Tengzhong stated that the bid was withdrawn due to a failure to get approval from the Chinese government.