Hummer H3 News

The General Motors-made vehicle is considered one of the largest and least fuel efficient SUVs in the world and comes at a time when vehicle sales in that segment have dropped 23.1 per cent in the year to date. But that's irrelevant to the appeal of a Hummer, which Holden says needs no explanation. "There's nothing like it anywhere in the world," a spokesman said after the announcement at the Australian International Motor Show. "What it represents needs no explanation." The Hummer was originally a military and government vehicle called a Hum-Vee - an acronym for High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle. GM changed the branding to Hummer once it took over marketing and distribution from the military division of American Motors. The Hum-Vee saw significant action in the Gulf War and was catapulted to pop culture glory after featuring in movies such as Three Kings. Holden plans to sell the H3 Hummer, which is the smallest model on the market. "The H3 perfectly matches Australian conditions because of its size, and it has what Australians expect to see in terms of capabilities," a Holden spokesman said. The H3 Hummer is considered to have serious off-road capabilities and will compete against the Toyota Prado, Nissan Patrol, and Jeep Grand Cherokee. Pricing would be announced closer to its mid-2007 availability. Holden claimed the Hummer had a shorter turning circle than the Ford Territory and also a shorter wheel base. Few Australians have seen a Hummer in the metal, with boutique importers bringing in low volumes of H2 Hummers and converting them to right hand drive. The H3 will continue to be made at GMs Port Elizabeth factory in South Africa, and will be the first factory-made right-hand drive Hummer available. Initially, the H3 would be available in Australia with a 3.7-litre inline five-cylinder petrol engine, producing peak power of 180kW at 5600rpm and peak torque of 328Nm at 4600rpm. A diesel version could also be offered at a later date. Private sales of SUV diesels grew 1.6 per cent in 2006 compared with a 12.1 per cent drop in petrol sales. FAST FACTS Engine: 3.7-litre Vortec 3700 five-cylinder engine with dual overhead cams and variable valve timing. H3 will offer an MA5 five-speed manual transmission or 4L60-E electronically controlled four-speed automatic transmission, depending on specification. Fuel economy under the US EPA city/highway measurement of 6-8 km per litre for the manual and 4-5 km per litre for the automatic. Electronically controlled four-wheel-drive system features traction control, underbody shielding and StabiliTrak control system. Safety features include roof rail-mounted side curtain air bags and rollover protection system. H3 can traverse 407mm of water at 32km/h or 610mm streams at an 8 km/h pace, 407mm vertical steps, rocks and sand. 11.3 m turning circle 216mm ground clearance and maximum break-over angle of 23.5 degrees make it possible to clear large obstacles in off-road driving. maximum approach angle of 37.5 degrees and maximum departure angle of 34.6 degrees.

From rap songs to movies, the Hummer’s presence is always felt. With the announcement at the Australian International Motor Show that Holden would begin selling the Hummer H3 here, CARSguide thought we should look at some of the Hummer’s starring roles.Click on the picture gallery to see the best Hummer celluloid action and then tell us about your favourite on-screen Hummer moment in the Feedback blog.For us here at CARSguide, the carnage factor combined with the sheer cool of Sean Connery means our number one Hummer moment goes to Captain John Mason in The Rock.If you can top a line such as "Im only borrowin ya Hum-Vee" while ploughing through everything in site and being chased by a Ferrari, then we want to hear it.

It is, in its way, the best show for ages, with a quotient of concept vehicles and exotica balanced by real world stuff you'd actually consider buying.Highlights?It's hard to walk past Audi's R8, a fully-fledged supercar likely to come in with a "bargain" tag of substantially less than $300,000. Next to it is the second generation Audi TT, mightily improved and not screamingly unaffordable from $68,500 the entry model and about $20K more for its 3.2 V6 quattro sibling. We drove both of these through the Austrian Alps in June 2006, and will hazard the guess that Audi will struggle to meet demand for this superbly executed coupe.And, just for show, is a model of the R10 – the amazing V12 diesel that took first and third at this year's Le Mans.The great thing about concept cars is that they needn't conform to such tiresome criteria as Australian Design Rules - hence the lack of an A pillar on Saab's Aero Concept X. The lack of any pillars for that matter. Slightly more tangible is the 9-5 bio ethanol-powered wagon - a car to gladden the hearts of sugar cane growers.Lotus has revived an iconic brand name with the Europa S, a car that should affirm two-seater motoring can still be an unadulterated and largely unconstrained experience. When the product of mainstream manufacturers seems to keep getting fatter, like a choc-addicted neurotic, the mere existence of Lotus serves to remind us of (hard) core driving verities.Mazda's Kabura sports compact - with its cute 3+1 seating arrangement - is a concept from which the theme and shape of Mazdas to come can be divined. Ditto Honda's Sports 4 Concept for that marque. Or so we hope. While Honda's SH-AWD system is damn clever, it'd be neat to see it attached to something a little more athletic than the globulous Legend.A few metres away from the Kabura is the CX-7 - the crossover SUV with much of the Mazda 6 MPS's drivetrain - which you'll be seeing on our streets soon. It's one of two vehicles that perfectly defines what marketing types like to call the "zeitgeist" of the Australian buyer at the moment.The other, you may or may not choose to believe, is a Volvo. The S80 all-wheel-drive V8 luxury sedan might be the Swedish marque's new hero model, but their decidedly groovy 2+2, the C30, could be the car that finally puts paid to those ancient "bloody Volvo driver" cliches.It also points firmly in the direction that Australian private buyers are going ie: those of us not enamoured of soft road SUVs are downsizing but up-speccing.And speaking of good things in small packages, those who have queued long for the Volkswagen Golf GTI will be delighted to see that not only is demand being addressed, but the new to Australia three door-model starts $1500 under the five door at $38,490. VeeWee's highly desirable Eos CC, the big drawer at last year's Frankfurt motor show, finally made its Australian debut ahead of its release early in 2007.And yes, that's a turbo diesel variant you see parked near the turbo petrol. If diesel seems anomalous in a (part-time) open top car, it works.Given the mudslide of Holden hype this year, it comes almost as relief not to see some lurid concept jobbie from them for once, although unveiling the Hummer H3 did at least provide comic relief.With the pomp and circumstance we've come to expect from Holden on the opening day of the show, the covers were hauled off to anything but the reception they've come to expect.Far from the rapturous and somewhat sycophantic applause that greeted their Torana and Efijy creations, there was … well, the sound of no hands clapping. In fact, the silence that greeted this spectacularly pointless and ugly apparition could best be described as stoney.Nissan's Foria is a concept car we’d very much like to see come into fruition. Apart form the corporate grille, this is an elegant Lancia-like coupe intended as an MX-5-like alternative. 

Soaring fuel prices won't stop a Hummer assault on Australia. GM Holden is pushing on with a plan to launch the American four-wheel-drive brand here next year.Company insiders have told CARSguide that Hummer's smallest model, the H3, will be the first sold, with a starting price of about $60,000. Holden won't comment publicly on its Hummer plans.The H3 trucks are likely to go on sale midway through next year, though a final date is yet to be set.Holden insiders are confident the company will be able to sell the H3 here despite concerns about fuel consumption, saying there is still demand for 4WDs.The H3 hit United States showrooms late last year and accounts for about 75 per cent of Hummer sales.General Motors will start cranking up production of right-hand-drive export versions in its South African plant late this year.The H3 is roughly the same size as a Ford Territory, though 114mm shorter.It is not light, weighing 2131kg, which is slightly more than the Territory, but much less than the hulking 3680kg H1.Some of the H3's components are shared with the US Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon pick-up trucks sold in the US. This is also the case with the engine, with the H3 running an in-line five-cylinder petrol unit.The 20-valve 3.5-litre engine generates 164kW at 5600 revs and 305Nm at 2800 revs.Customers can choose from a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic transmission, linked to an electronically controlled 4WD system.In the US, electronic stability control is an optional extra, as are side curtain airbags.GM launched the H3 as sales of its military-style H1 and slightly smaller H2 start to fall.Those two models had been copping flak from environmentalists lobbying GM to stop promoting such extreme gas-guzzling trucks.GM has just wound up production of the road-going H1, which was boosted by its role in the 1991 Desert Storm campaign.It still produces the H2 model, but it is unclear whether it will be brought to Australia.The H3 is much less controversial and less thirsty that its big brothers.There are no fuel consumption figures available for the H3 that can be compared with Australian figures as the US tests are different.US test results show the H3 using about 15 litres over 100km in the city and 12 litres/100km on the highway.The H3 has been described as the most road-friendly Hummer yet, though that is not much of a compliment.US writers who have driven it say it is quite capable off-road.It might be less extreme than previous Hummers, but GM designers have made sure it looks like a Hummer.It has the same square style, thin rectangular grille, flared wheel arches and a full-size spare wheel bolted to the tailgate.