Autoblog

Click above for a high-res gallery of the HUMMER H3T.

To say that HUMMER's launch timing for the H3T sport-utility-truck couldn't be worse seems like an understatement. Trucks which had been flying out of showrooms just a few short years ago are now languishing on dealer lots. What's more, the entire HUMMER brand could get the axe any day now from (current) parent company General Motors. Still, the H3T is coming to a dealer near you in September, and there's nothing that the General can do but price it competitively and hope for the best. We've got some detailed pricing information pasted after the break, but the short version is that the five-cylinder base model, which comes standard with a five-speed stick, will go for $31,495 and be equipped with the expected four-wheel drive along with 32-inch tires and a clothe interior. Upscale Alpha models get upgraded with the 5.3L V8 hooked to a four-speed automatic, a chrome appearance package and a Monsoon stereo for $36,760.


[Source: PickupTrucks.com]

Click above for a high-res gallery of the HUMMER H3T.

HUMMER is on the skids and pickups aren't flying off dealer lots, but if you're smitten with the H3 and need to haul more than its covered cargo bay can handle, the H3T is yours for the taking. Pricing starts at $31,495, including a $745 destination charge -- $850 less than a comparable H3.

For that kind of cash, you get a five-foot-long bed covered with an integrated liner and built-in storage system, full-time electronically controlled four-wheel-drive, 32-inch tires, functional skid plates and the five-year/100,000-mile warranty. The base model will pack the 3.7-liter five-cylinder, but a 5.3-liter V8 will be available, along with Bluetooth integration and an upgraded OnStar system. GM hasn't released details on what that kind of kit will set you back, but you can hit up your local dealer to find out when the H3T goes on sale in September.

Hit the jump for HUMMER's press release and check out our previous post on the H3T.

click above for more high-res shots of the 2009 HUMMER H3T

You've got to feel a little bad for the HUMMER H3T. While the rest of the crowd at GM's press conference had their focus set on the unveiling of the 2009 Chevy Traverse, the 2009 HUMMER H3T sat in the corner, all but ignored by camera-toting journos. We, however, know a good thing when we see it (though many of you might disagree). And considering how the H3T is sporting an elongated wheelbase and a five-foot long bed, it remains one of a few significant unveilings here in Chi-town.

Just as a refresher, the H3T gets power from either the anemic 3.7-liter five-cylinder mill we've come to know and loathe or a 5.3-liter V8 when equipped in the top-level Alpha trim. Towing capacity is 5,900 pounds, which should be plenty for a family of four with dirt bikes in tow.

Check out our high-res gallery of live and press shots below and head on over to our original post for all the details on the new HUMMER H3T.

click above to view video of the 2009 HUMMER H3T

The recently announced 2009 HUMMER H3T holds a lot of promise for GM's ex-military brand. For one, it's a true truck with a separate cab and bed, which gives it some true truck capability compared to other crew cab unibody trucks on the market like the Honda Ridgeline (we know, a very unfair comparison). Riding on a stretched version of the regular H3's platform, the H3T will also be available with a huge catalog of optional dealer-installed accessories to personalize the truck to an owner's specific needs.

We'll see the H3T in person next week at the 2008 Chicago Auto Show, and HUMMER has even shown the truck in person to a few journalists already, but we thought you'd be interested in this string of b-roll video that the automaker has just released. We've spared you a techno soundtrack, so you'll hear the HUMMER H3T plowing through the snow as God intended, as well as few quick quips from HUMMER General Manager Martin Walsh and Director of Design Carl Zipfel about why they think the H3T is the cat's meow. Follow the jump to view the video.

[Source: GM]

Photo courtesy of Pickuptruck.com editor Mike Levine.

Though the production version of the HUMMER H3T four-door pickup is not supposed to be seen before it debuts in a couple weeks at the 2008 Chicago Auto Show, images of the baby HUMMER truck have appeared early in the latest issue of Truck Trend magazine that's apparently on some newsstands and in some mailboxes already. That's because scans of the pics have hit the interweb, giving us an early and unofficial look at the truck.

Captions reveal that the HUMMER H3T will be available with a large number of dealer-installed accessories, including hardware for tying down your ten-speed or securing your (small) motorcycle and storage toolboxes, while GM's familiar bedrail system will be standard. There are reportedly storage bins built into the walls of the bed's plastic liner, and while they're no Ram Box, should be big enough to hold small items like tools and gloves.

We'll have to wait until we arrive in Chicago to tell you more, but we weren't even supposed to know this much, so it's all gravy, baby.

[Source: hummerguy.net]

click above image to enlarge

Though HUMMER H3 SUT mules have been snapped with the long lens before, they're usually heavily guarded and tucked away on GM's proving grounds in Arizona or Milford, MI. For some inexplicable reason, however, this HUMMER H3T prototype has been seen driving around in plain site outside the proving grounds. In fact, it was snapped at the recent Baja 1000 where it played the part of chase vehicle in full pre-production camouflage.

You can see that the production model will indeed have four doors, unlike the short-bed two-door H3T Concept that HUMMER showed us back in 2003. That means the bed is not very big: about 4-feet wide by 4.5- to 5-feet long. You can forget about hauling full-size sheets of plywood, but the H3 HUT will offer additional storage options in the form of cargo boxes in the bed sides, and maybe even a removable lunchbox! Underneath it will be standard H3 fare, which means your choice of the new 295-hp 5.3L V8 or the 242-hp 3.7L inline-five cylinder engine. Production of the 2009 HUMMER H3 SUT is slated to begin in August of 2008 at the automaker's Shreveport plant with an annual production of 35,000 units.

Since the H3 SUT isn't a marquee product, we don't expect we'll see its official debut at the Detroit Auto Show in January. This seems like a good reveal for the Chicago Auto Show in February or the New York Auto Show in late March/early May.

[Photos: Bob Spivey for Brenda Priddy & Co.]