With the pickup truck market headed for the crash barrier and consumer demand shifting from SUVs towards more fuel-efficient cars and CUVs, GM has decided to introduce a pickup truck version of one of its slowest-selling SUVs. CNNMoney reports GM is wasting spending $73m to equip its Shreveport, Louisiana plant to build the Hummer H3T alongside Chevy Colorados and GMC Canyons. You may recall– then again why would you?– that the H3T was introduced as a two-door concept at the LA Auto Show in 2004. Although the concept looked kinda cool and (relatively) compact in a Jeep Gladiator kinda way, the new Hummer pickup will have a four-door cab. GM describes the forthcoming H3T as "larger than a mid-sized truck but smaller than a full-sized truck." Which raises an interesting question: "Why?"
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Why? Because the Colorado completely sucks and the full sizers are for the most part less affordable than personal aircraft. If it’s priced under $29k I would be very interested especially since it’s a four-door. Throw in decent ground clearance, a V8 option and here’s a future buyer.
what bothers me the most is that all the neat add-ons, the hideaway side step for instance will be gone in a production model. I would love to see stuff like dent resistance pannels (from early saturn) on the doors, fenders, and bed. I want the side step, the faux convertible roof, I want the tricked out interior, but except for an up model interior (at $$$$$) most of it will fall by the wayside and we’ll be left with a uninteresting, cookie-cutter H3 pickup and when all is said and done, why not just get a fullsize pickup?
America needs another H3 model like it needs another VW model. With its weezer five-cylinder engine. I guess GM figures it need to sell more vehicles that appeal to female since all you ever see driving H3s are women. There’s a slim chance it’ll have a V-8. Anything else will be a complete disapointment.
I disagree that the pickup market is dying. Lots of folks really need these things for their companies, jobs and properties [edit: and recreation]. Some of the marginal buyers will dry up but I consider this a very safe segment albeit at somewhat reduced volumes.
Two things could make this thing a success:
1) 6-cyl Diesel
2) Properly long bed
Otherwise, yeah, waste of money GM. I smell a deal cut at the recent negotiations.
This is where people lose respect for me (if they had any), but I think GM might be onto a winner here. Let’s put aside the fact that the pick up and SUV market are trending downwards, in the pick up market I can see many buyers going for a pick up truck that looks like that. Add into the equation that it’s by GM and looks built to tow the factory that Hummer was made in, I think I can see GM making a quick few bucks on this.
Trouble is, it’s also indicative of GM mentality. Short term profits, long term trouble……..
A GM exec was cited as saying ‘We need to siphon sales from our full-size pickups.’
I have always wanted an actual pick up version of the H2, rather than that utterly useless version they put out years ago. If they offer a diesel and atleast a 6ft. bed, it will be on my short list when I go truck shopping in a few years. I don’t need a full size truck per se, but I need a torquey motor in something with a bigger cab than a Ranger. The only problem, as with all Hummers, it will have a premium over any regular truck.
Great, men always need more options to broadcast our lack of penis size to the universe.
I love city boys. Having a 4X4 truck doesn’t say you have a weak ego anymore than driving a BMW says you’re a douche bag. While it may be true some of the time, a lot of the buyers use and abuse their trucks on a weekly (if not daily) bases. I have always driven economy cars, but as soon as my finances allow, I am going to be driving something decidedly more fun on the nights and weekends. I don’t think my Civic will haul my Banshee to the trails or my boat to the lake, after all.
Here’s a link to some spy shots:
http://www.pickuptruck.com/html/2009/hummer/h3t/spied/page1.html
I don’t know that this is all that bad a move on GM’s part. It will probably be a better off-roader in stock form than a crew cab Z71 Colorado is, and the Hummer dealership is where GM wants those customers at anyway.
I guess anything is an improvement over the Colorado. Now get rid of the 5 cylinder and install the 4.3L V6 and maybe it’ll sell (at least until gas hits $3.50).
If it motivates Jeep to build a Gladiator or Scrambler (or Brute: see AEV), it’ll be worth it.
If it is going to have a four door cab then the bed isn’t going to be big enough to be useful for much.
radimus:
From those photos..the ball is dropped. Too many seats, no diesel.
Samir Syed :
October 31st, 2007 at 10:18 am
Great, men always need more options to broadcast our lack of penis size to the universe.
And that is the ONLY reason those jerks buy those needlessly behemoth monsters. (I drive a 2001 Accord, thank you.)
Oh YEAH! Just as oil hits $94 a barrel!
Having a 4X4 truck doesn’t say you have a weak ego anymore than driving a BMW says you’re a douche bag.
Although driving a pickup truck doesn’t say that, driving a Hummer certainly does.
Actually, driving a BMW carries a strong douchebag implication, at least in California. Every BMW driver I encounter on the road there is tailgating someone. Without exception.
This is a great looking truck from the outside. The quality of the interior components remain to be seen, but a Hummer pickup definitely has plenty of sales potential.
I don’t believe a diesel model would represent a make-or-break issue for 90+% of the buyers. If customers can accessorize it (which is a serious slam dunk opportunity for GM), get the 5 year / 100,000 mile warranty, and cope with gas prices it should do quite well in the marketplace.
It’s a GM product (translation: crappy, cheap plastic interior with poor fit and finish). As Samir correctly pointed out, yet another variety of chrome penis for those in need of displaying such things in public.