Home - Car Reviews - 2008 Hummer H3 Alpha Preview
2008 Hummer H3 Alpha Preview
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| Cool looking "ALPHA" shield-shaped badges depict the brand's grille slats. (Photo: General Motors) |
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,
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| H3 Alpha will no doubt extend Hummer's winning streak. (Photo: General Motors) |
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| The new V8 enhances on- and off-road performance plus the H3's towing capacity. (Photo: General Motors) |
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
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| 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) |
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
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| It certainly looks like a rough, tough Hummer, but it's a lot smaller than an H1 or H2. (Photo: General Motors) |
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
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| The H3 has not only made Hummer profitable, but is also changing perceptions about what the brand is all about. (Photo: General Motors) |
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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