conditioning, an audio system upgrade with compact disc player and premium
speakers, sliding rear window, tachometer and floor mats; individually,
all these items would cost $1,496 but in the package they come to $1,151.
The Power Package consists of power windows, door locks and outside mirrors;
individually these items are $630, but the package cost is $530. And the
Convenience Package includes tilt steering wheel and cruise control; individually
the cost would be $525, but the package cost is $425. The total savings
of these three packages together, for example, would be $545, a substantial
amount.
The Hombre's mechanical layout is straightforward: In the front, an
independent suspension of upper and lower control arms, and in the rear
a live axle on leaf springs. There's an optional Performance Package, which
is included at no charge on the XS V6 Spacecab. It consists of heavier-duty
springs for increased trailer towing capacity and, if the vehicle is equipped
with the four-cylinder engine, a change in the rear axle ratio from 3.73:1
to 4.10:1, which helps with pulling heavy loads. With it, the gross vehicle
weight rating (GVWR) goes up to 4,600 pounds, from 4,200 with the base
four-cylinder and 4,400 with the V6. Trailer towing capacity is 2,000 pounds
with the four-cylinder engine and 5,000 pounds with the V6.
We think the Hombre offers attractive pricing. The base price comes
to only $11,484. The Spacecab XS we drove retails for $17,068. It came
with the V6 automatic, but not much else--it didn't even have air conditioning.
Even a fully loaded Hombre should be under $20,000, however.
A word here about the V6 engine: Those familiar with the GM compact
trucks will note they are offered with a couple of versions of this same
4.3-liter V6, but they're rated at 180 hp and 190 hp. The Hombre's engine
is rated slightly lower than those in the Chevy and GMC models, but it
still pulls strongly and with enough torque for the kind of work a truck
is likely to experience. Next Page