GMC promised that it would take the art of capability and trail-busting performance seriously when we checked out the Hummer EV pickup in Arizona a short while back. The Hummer we drove certainly proved that it had the stuff to cover both urban commuting and trail conquering journeys but it also made us wonder about the SUV version. GMC revealed that this particular model is not getting any special treatment in its development and that the company is putting it through the same high level of testing that the pickup went through before it got into the hands of customers.
Crawling Rocks And Taking Names In The SUV Segment
The announcement came from GM President Mark Reuss who once again used LinkedIn (instead of usual channels like Twitter) to not only share some details about the SUV but also a small gallery of images showing the Hummer rock crawling its way through Moab. The tester featured is an early stage prototype but the pictures do reveal that it’s indeed more than capable of handling heavy-duty trail work.
These trials on Moab mark the final stage of validation testing for the Hummer SUV with GMC claiming that in the past that it will help form a formidable one-two punch alongside the pickup. Reuss’s announcement didn’t dive too deeply into some of the Hummer SUV’s performance numbers but did reveal that the SUV will have a 49-degree departure angle and a turning circle of just 35.4 feet. The departure figure is higher than the pickup’s 33.7-degree approach angle and the turn radius is also smaller than the pickup’s.
When Can I Buy A Hummer SUV?
While we are still waiting for GMC to reveal final distribution information, Reuss confirmed that the SUV is still on track to begin production in early 2023. That’s despite a rapidly changing supply market as well as some of the challenges brought on by rising inflation and fuel costs. The SUV is also recording a strong surge in demand, with GMC already confirming that it has received over 65,000 pre-orders for both models though it hasn’t revealed individual order figures with the company only confirming that the Edition 1 version of the SUV is sold out.
We look forward to eventually spending some time behind the wheel of the SUV version to see if lightning does indeed strike twice and if this new variant will make us have the same first impression that we obtained from the EV pickup.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.