Brawn Ambition

General Motors Corp. is determined to ensure the Hummer brand is as capable as the vehicles wearing the badging. That means a careful rollout of product designed to show the go-anywhere marque is in it for the long haul.

Coming down the pike is everything from freshening of the flagship H1; a sales boost from the H2 SUT (see review, p.46) the 2005 launch of the higher-volume H3; a business case to be made for an even-smaller H4, and Alpha performance models for all of the above.

All will share basic tenets: rear-wheel drive, 4-wheel-drive and extreme off-road capability. Each new offering must fall into the premium or luxury category. And the only allowable body styles are SUVs, SUTs and pickups, says Michael DiGiovanni, Hummer general manager.

The '04 H1 sports an all-new interior and has added a 6.5L turbodiesel V-8. And the H1 will be the first to receive products in an upscale line known as Alpha, similar to the M-Series at BMW AG or Mercedes' AMG division.

“Hummer will have an upscale line,” DiGiovanni tells Ward's. Special edition H2s are planned for '05 and '06, with an Alpha H2 expected as an '07 model.

The H3 is a difficult program, DiGiovanni admits. “As you go down in price, it's hard to be authentic Hummer.”

The only peek so far has been the H3T concept — a pickup inspired by the H1 softtop. The H3 will be the volume vehicle, supporting the new Hummer dealer network, distinguished by the giant “H” entrance and an off-road test track.