Just look at the Hummer and tell us you don’t like it. Looking at its mileage, you might not like it but its unique looks make everyone fall in love. It just feels that the words like ‘Macho’ and ‘Rugged’ were specifically created for the vehicle. The Hummer is a modern-day legend.
It is a style icon that you can spot from a mile away. Now that GMC is reviving the Hummer brand in EV form, let us take a look at one of the most popular yet controversial SUVs ever made:-
Design
Over its generations, the Hummer design has been timeless with some modern-looking upgrades. Its distinct grill is its identity. Overall, it is a big, long SUV that feels like it will crush anything that will come in its path. It is like a tank on wheels !!
Military Background
The Hummer was originally designed for the military by AM General. In 1979, the military wanted to replace the Jeeps with something bigger vehicle that’s an all-rounder. Initially, the project had the name ‘High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle’ (HMMWV). It could carry a whopping 2500-pound payload !! Many variants of the vehicle were produced like the cargo and troop carriers, ambulances as well as TOW missile carriers.
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Onto the Streets
Arnold Schwarzenegger wanted a Hummer so bad that he gave a petition to AM General to bring the Hummer to the streets. The resulting Hummer was in production from 1992 to 2006. Even after AM General sold the brand name to GM, they continued to manufacture the vehicles. After the deal, GM renamed the Hummer as H1.In a short span of time after the deal, GM introduced two new models; H2 and H3 in the model lineup.
Engines
A Big vehicle like Hummer must have a powerful engine to pull heavy loads and carry the passengers at the same time. The Humvee had an option of a 6.2-litre V8 diesel or a 6.5 litre V8 diesel/turbodiesel engine or a 5.7-litre gasoline engine option. The civilian variant i.e. the H1 gets an additional 6.6 litre V8 diesel engine option. Its successor, the H2 gets a 6.0 or a 6.2-litre V8 engine option. The short-lived H3 model got a 3.5-litre, 3.7-litre or a more powerful 5.3 lire V8 engine option.
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Controversies and Criticisms
The Hummer SUV mainly attracted criticism for its large size. It was difficult to park the vehicle. It also isn’t as safe as other vehicles in its class. This is due to the fact that it comes under the Class 3 truck category which exempts it from many US safety regulations. But the biggest controversy of them all is its poor fuel economy. Some people say that a gas station explosion will burn gas slowly than a Hummer. The Hummer H2’s size and poor aerodynamics resulted in the mileage of 14 miles per gallon on the highway and 10 miles per gallon in the city.
Decline & Discontinuation
As a result of higher oil prices, the demand for large SUVs was decreasing. On June 3, 2008; the CEO of GM announced that there is a possibility that the brand will either be sold, discontinued or will have a redesigned product line. At that time, Mahindra and Mahindra expressed interest in purchasing the marque completely or at least a part of it. After that General Motors tried to sell the unit to a China-based company. This deal fell flat and another deal with the American company Raser Technologies also didn’t succeed. This resulted in the discontinuation of the Hummer brand.
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Revival
10 years after discontinuation, GMC has revived the Hummer brand as an Electric Vehicle. There is a pickup truck and SUV version of the model. The Hummer EV gets power from the 200 kWh Ultium-powered Li-ion batteries. The edition 1 model can generate up to 1000 HP. It can go 560 km in one charge. The GMC Hummer EV Edition 1 also comes with the ‘Extreme Off-Road Package’ that includes 35-inch mud-terrain tires, skid plates and rock sliders. People were so excited for Hummer’s EV return that the Edition 1 sold out in the first 10 minutes of opening of pre-orders. It is said to be available in Fall 2021.
Verdict
Hummer is the once renowned SUV that later got into controversies that in turn stained the brand image. The brand was later discontinued, due to the issues that plagued it and poor sales. Now that it is revived in electric form; we hope that it will continue stronger and create its new brand image while taking the legacy forward.
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