Wedged between a pair of overwraught defenses of all things ethanol by Rick Wagoner was the introduction the Hummer HX Concept. "Further expansion of the Hummer brand will be smaller and more fuel effiicent," remarked GM marketing chief Mark LaNeve.
Indeed. The HX Concept is FJ Cruiser-sized and proportioned, and, like the Toyota, carries a V6. In the HX, it's the corporate 304-hp 3.6-liter ethanol-capable "high feature" V6. It appears to have the ground clearance and approach/departure angles of a true off-roader, which is something of a novelty among "off-road" concepts.
Neat touch: The doors are removable and fender flares come off via Dzus-type fasteners for when you're in a tight spot.
It's the right size. It looks tough. And it sports the badass-est flat paint job I've seen in a long time--flat olive drab.
Check out our full coverage on the HX Concept here. -- Jason Kavanagh, Engineering Editor, Inside Line
estreka says:
10:53 AM, 01/13/08
That certainly outperforms the FJ's 1GR engine, and with lower displacement.
What exactly is a dzu fastener?
Do you write intros for Honda? ;-)
daytona_500 says:
01:35 PM, 01/13/08
How about further expansion of the Hummer brand include cheaper vehicles? The fact that the base model, an H3 is priced around $40K is cause for concern.
But the HX is sweet, they should totally make it.
stovt001 says:
02:57 PM, 01/13/08
Make it a diesel, and you have what will probably be exactly what a Hummer should be. Scale them down, give them a clear purpose, and make them best in class in many categories. Recipe for success right there.
diesel77 says:
03:48 PM, 01/13/08
I'm not much of a Hummer fan. Was actually considering a FJ Cruiser. But if GM builds this and put a diesel engine in it ( 4 cylinder or even a 6 cylinder), I will definitely buy one for use here, and one for use when I'm in Africa...definitely.
ateixeira says:
10:14 AM, 01/14/08
H3 is actually closer to $30k, especially after bargaining down the price.
This looks OK, but you can't see the corners so get a good spotter!
jkavanagh says:
03:44 PM, 01/14/08
estreka, a Dzus fastener is a quarter-turn clip usually found on race cars to hold down the bodywork. They lie flush to the surface and engage by grabbing a little metal loop mounted somewhere on the chassis.