2008 Hummer H3

The Hummer team pulled off an impressive feat, as challenging as ascending the Rubicon Trail, by building the H3 off the Chevrolet Colorado platform. Despite all the initial limitations, Hummer has created a right-sized sport/ute that fully captures all the core styling and off-roading attributes that define the brand. Unfortunately, the compact truck platform did not allow for packaging a larger engine.

In the Colorado, the inline five-cylinder engine is quite mild; in the H3, the 220-hp I-5 is its exposed Achilles heel. Engineers readily admit the on-road weakness, though they were left without other ready options. This is the engine intended for the platform, though the H3 is a few hundred pounds heavier than the pickups.

The Atlas I-6 used in the midsize GMT-360 sport/utes now produces 291 horsepower, meaning the one cylinder they chose to lop off for the I-5 was worth 71 horsepower. They chose the wrong cylinder. It's no surprise that GM Powertrain is working to create a more potent I-5, whose output will likely be around 240-245 horsepower. The engine displacement will climb to 3.7 liters from 3.5. We caught such a mule testing in Death Valley.

Hummer is also looking to offer an Alpha version with even greater horsepower. Although prototypes have been constructed with turbos, it is the feeling that off-roaders would not want the variable power characteristics created by turbo spooling. The answer is unclear right now, but we do expect an Alpha and a pickup truck variant to join the line for 2009, if not sooner.