Overnight GMC Hummer did the inevitable, revealing an SUV variant to sit alongside its fully electric Hummer pick-up from late 2020.
Short of just popping a lid on top of its pick-up and calling it a day, GMC has actually made quite a few changes between the two models; namely in order to alter the new model’s dimensions. The SUV is actually smaller than the ute, its 4999mm length and 3218mm wheelbase being 508mm and 226mm shorter in each metric relative to the ute.
This means the blocky SUV is somewhat similar in size to the Holden Acadia, with a touch more length and a heap more wheelbase. These changes make the SUV more maneuverable, according to GMC.
The SUV-ification of the platform has not seen an end to its off-roading chops, either. GMC boasts that the SUV gets 406mm of ground clearance, plus approach, departure, and break-over angles of 49.6, 49.0, and 34.4 degrees respectively. This is complemented by 330mm of suspension travel, and an 813mm wading depth.
One feature that might prove helpful for those keen to take their Hummer SUV out into the wilderness is something called Power Station. This effectively turns the big SUV into a giant 3kW battery to power things like TVs, lights, and even other electric cars. A similar feature comes in Hyundai’s new Ioniq 5.
The boot can offer up to 2316 litres of space when the back seats are folded flat, and for those wanting more there’s additional room under the rear load floor and in the SUV’s ‘frunk’. The boot opening is an enormous 1219mm wide, meaning chucking bikes and such inside is a breeze.
Powertrains? Well, like the pick-up variant the Hummer SUV packs a heap of power and torque across all variants. It’s available either in a dual-motor spec or tri-motor spec; the former offering 466kW of power and the latter offering 619kW of power. The latter is down on the tri-motor pick-up’s 746kW, but will still no doubt scare a few sports cars at the lights.
GMC’s Hummer SUV announcement got hazy when it came to battery details, although they did confirm that the 20-module Ultium battery can pack over 483km of range per charge, and 300kW DC fast-charging capabilities. The latter allows owners to get 161km worth of charging in as little as 10 minutes.
Whether the big brute will come to New Zealand remains to be seen. Stateside, its 2023 pricing starts at US$89,995 for the dual-motor, with the tri-motor starting at US$99,995. A new base model is understood to be coming later, with a price of US$79,995.
