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2008 Hummer H3 Alpha Preview

If you mention the word Hummer to most people, the image they will most likely conjure in their mind is of the original big, brawny HUMVEE military-grade utility vehicle, probably with one pre-Governor ArnoldSchwarzenegger behind the wheel. The now defunct Hummer H1 isn't the kind of vehicle you mess around with. It was initially engineered, designed and built specifically for the military, and as far as sport utility vehicles go you couldn't ask for better credentials. Logically, General Motors, which took over the sales of civilian Hummers from military supplier AM General when it was riding the crest of the sport utility vehicle craze, knew that there was much to be wrung from the brand's golden image, and no one will argue that the world's largest automaker didn't make the most of it. GM launched the purely civilian H2 soon after pulling the Hummer under

Cool looking "ALPHA" shield-shaped badges depict the brand's grille slats. (Photo: General Motors)

its wings, which gave the brand a product it could sell to real people whose daily to-do lists didn't necessarily involved touring the Persian Gulf. Sure, it couldn't ward off fire delivered point blank from an M-16 or shield consumers from land mines, but its (slightly) smaller size meant that it was the first Hummer that didn't require more than one lane of traffic to travel in, plus it could seat more than four.

Comparedto the H1, the H2 was small, but to anyone who doesn't pilot a heavy-duty grade pickup truck or sumo sport utility vehicle,

H3 Alpha will no doubt extend Hummer's winning streak. (Photo: General Motors)

it's absolutely massive. Clearly, the Hummer family was ready for something smaller still, and it came in the form of the H3. Launched in 2005, the H3 was a sport utility that Hummer could not only sell to consumers, but to down to earth consumers. It's an SUV that not only had, and still has the ability to off-road with the best in its segment, but even more importantly it has the look and the image despite the smaller size. I still know people who believe that all Hummers are XXXL sport utility vehicles, but the H3 isn't large at all. Measure out the footprint and you'll find that it occupies about as much road space as an average midsize car, and has a 37-foot turning circle,

The new V8 enhances on- and off-road performance plus the H3's towing capacity. (Photo: General Motors)

which is equal to that of a compact car. Surprised? I was too. And while it might not be the most efficient sport utility around, particularly with the JeepGrand Cherokee CRD and Toyota Highlander Hybrid now available for price conscious buyers, it's not much worse than a Toyota FJ Cruiser or a Nissan Xterra.

By shrinking the physical size, and the weight, Hummer was able to seriously downsize the engine that it needed in the H3. Because the H3 was derived from the Chevrolet Colorado / GMC Canyon compact truck platform, it made financial sense for GM to use the same powertrain incorporated in these pickups, a 3.5-liter, 220 horsepower inline five-cylinder with 225 lb-ft of torque. General Motors should've had the foresight to know that such an engine just can't move 4,700 lbs

The new 5.3-liter V8 quells complaints about the H3's power deficiency without too much of a cost in fuel economy. (Photo: General Motors)

down the road very quickly, even if it it's heart is wrung with a five-speed manual – a first for Hummer, no less. The power shortage was rectified for model year 2007 when the H3 received a 3.7-liter version of the inline-five, which bumped power up to a much more respectable242 horsepower and 242 lb-ft of torque. But even with the additional grunt, it's not as if the H3 is the most powerful vehicle to put tire to tarmac (or rocks, or dirt), which is why Hummer is upping performance once again for the 2008 H3 Alpha.

At this year's New York International Auto Show, Hummer has adopted the Alpha nameplate for the high-output versions of all its vehicles. First featured on the final run of the diesel H1, it's now used on the H2 and this, the H3. What elevates the H3 to Alpha status is its 5.3-liter small-block V8 engine, which produces 295 horsepower and 317 lb-ft of torque. This particular

It certainly looks like a rough, tough Hummer, but it's a lot smaller than an H1 or H2. (Photo: General Motors)

engine shares its roots with the Chevrolet Silverado, ensuring both strength and durability, though Hummer's engineers have fitted it with a new oil pan in order to provide proper engine lubrication even in the most extreme off-roading conditions. The engine significantly increases the H3's ability to tow and lug loads; a total of 6,000 lbs of additional stuff can be brought along.Mated to a four-speed automatic gearbox, the mini-Hummer is now capable of accelerating to 60 mph from a standstill in around eight seconds. Unfortunately, there won't be a manual version of the H3 Alpha.

Hummer hasn't said anything about the fuel consumption of the H3 Alpha, but we have a sneaking suspicion that the addition of three cylinders will have little to no effect on fuel consumption. Given that the curb weights of an H3 and a Silverado short-bed with the 5.3-liter engine are within 50 lbs of each other, and the existing fuel consumption rating of the H3 with its five-cylinder is nearly the same as the V8-powered Silverado, there

The H3 has not only made Hummer profitable, but is also changing perceptions about what the brand is all about. (Photo: General Motors)

shouldn't be much of a change. For the record, the current H3 uses 15 mpg in the city and 20 mpg on the highway.

To go along with the bigger engine are beefier components, including upgraded shock absorbers, and to deal with the greater weight, a thicker roll bar. More power also means more strain on internal components, such as the differential casing that is now made of cast iron instead of aluminum. Another change made to the entire H3 range is a new steering rack, designed to give the little SUV greater road feel.

Along with the powertrain upgrade, the Alpha version of the H3 is more or less a fully loaded Hummer with the Luxury and Chrome packages, plus a few Alpha badges sprinkled throughout. Hummer is also offering the Alpha's V8 engine in the street-smart H3x model that has a customized appearance.

Hummer says that its engineers live, breathe and eat off-road driving. With a powerful V8 engine curing any remaining cries from consumers, it's likely that Hummer will find even more buyers willing to live, breathe and eat off-road driving too. Hummers roll doesn't look to be ending anytime soon.

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