1 Oct 2007
H3 trades on a brand name that harks back to the Humvee and images of American GIs in the first Gulf War.
It uses a GMC Truck-derived 3.7-litre five-cylinder inline petrol engine that develops 180kW at 5600rpm and 328Nm of torque at a relatively high 4600rpm.
Either a five-speed manual or four-speed auto transmission is offered, linked to a full-time, dual-range 4WD transfer case.
The Hummer’s five-seater body is bolted to a separate chassis to which a simple independent, torsion bar front and live-axle leaf-spring rear suspension is attached.
The Hummer measures 4782mm long, 1989mm wide and 1904mm tall, which puts it into the medium-to-large range in the Australian SUV market. Kerb weight is between 2178kg and 2268kg, depending on the model.
The cargo volume is quoted as 835/1577 litres with the rear seats up/down, while maximum towing capacity is 2040kg (auto) and 1360kg (manual).
The H3 arrives in three models: H3, H3 Adventure and H3 Luxury.
All include 16-inch alloy wheels, front foglights, power exterior mirrors, four underbody skid protection plates, roof rails, air-conditioning, power windows, remote central locking, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror (with compass and outside temperature readout), leather gearknob, cruise control, and a six-speaker sound system with single CD.
To the base spec the Adventure adds a locking rear differential, a leather-clad steering wheel, six-disc CD changer audio with speed-compensation for volume, seven speakers and subwoofer and amplifier, leather seat trim, electric adjustment, heated front seats, and a cargo cover and liner.
Unique to the Adventure is a 4.03:1 transfer case ratio for better low-range crawling and an additional skid plate over the oil pan.
The Luxury builds upon Adventure specification (with the exception of the transfer case and skid plates, which it shares with the base H3) with standard four-speed automatic transmission, cashmere leather trim and electric glass sunroof.
Safety features common to all H3s include stability control (called StabiliTrak), traction control, ABS, dual front airbags with passenger sensing system and curtain side airbags.
