Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[REPORT: Hummer getting plans in order for H4 and H5 models]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/17/report-hummer-getting-plans-in-order-for-h4-and-h5-models/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/17/report-hummer-getting-plans-in-order-for-h4-and-h5-models/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/17/report-hummer-getting-plans-in-order-for-h4-and-h5-models/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


Hummer HX concept - click above for high-res image gallery

As a brand, Hummer has been in limbo since General Motors announced it was selling the downtrodden marque to China's Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Co. Ltd. Speculation remains that the sale could be completed on or around December 1, pending approval from GM and the Chinese government. For now, everything is on hold, though Tengzhong and new Hummer CEO Jim Taylor are apparently still working hard to plan Hummer's future.

First on the "Honey Do" list is to arrest the free-fall of Hummer sales. Right now, sales are down 64% on the year to about 8,500 units, but Hummer is looking for 25,000 sales in 2010. That will be a tough nut to crack, but Automotive News reports that the company optimistically plans to get things done in part with some aggressive marketing. Ultimately, however, new product will be needed to get dealerships buzzing with customers again. In the meantime, Hummer's 154 U.S. dealers need more inventory in the showrooms to help move metal. AN says that dealers only have 1,300 units in stock, compared to the 7,400 vehicles at the same time in 2008.

The last piece of the Hummer reclamation project is adding those new models. When Tengzhong gets the keys to the Hummer kingdom, it will also receive engineering plans for the H4, a new smaller model that is reportedly based on the HX Concept from the 2008 Detroit Auto Show. Taylor reportedly told AN that Hummer's Jeep Wrangler fighter could arrive within three years. Also possible is an even smaller Hummer H5, which would help the SUV automaker to meet future CAFE requirements. Taylor even goes as far as to say that the smaller H4 and H5 could one day replace the brand's heavier and thirstier H2 and H3 mainstays. The next big challenge for Hummer once the sale becomes final is to find a manufacturing partner to build these vehicles. GM will reportedly cease building Hummer models as early as the end of 2010.


Gallery: Detroit 2008: HUMMER HX Concept


[Source: Automotive News - subs req'd]

REPORT: Hummer getting plans in order for H4 and H5 models originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>GMhummerhummer h4hummer h5hummer hxhummer saleHummerH4HummerH5HummerHxHummerSaleTue, 17 Nov 2009 18:29:00 EST<![CDATA[REPORT: Independent Hummer sees alt-fuel model within five years, still looking at H4]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/06/04/report-independent-hummer-sees-alt-fuel-model-within-five-years/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/06/04/report-independent-hummer-sees-alt-fuel-model-within-five-years/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/06/04/report-independent-hummer-sees-alt-fuel-model-within-five-years/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Hummer HX Concept - Click above for a high-res image gallery

Now that General Motors has all but officially offloaded the HUMMER brand to Chinese machinery and equipment manufacturer Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Company Ltd., the next logical question is where does the brand go from here? Perhaps the best person to answer that question would be Jim Taylor, the man who was put in charge of the brand to get it ready for sale and who will reportedly stay on to lead Hummer under its new ownership.

Speaking in an interview with Paul Eisenstein from The Detroit Bureau, Taylor had plenty of interesting things to say about Hummer's future. For instance, he notes:
"We need to head towards CAFE compliance - which means smaller and more fuel efficient, or we're dialed out. Think of the smaller H4 we were showing at the auto show and it could safely conjectured we would enter into that space."
Taylor goes on to suggest that "a ground-up hybrid or electric vehicle, [would] make a lot of sense for the Hummer brand" since it "would help us change our image." What are the chances we'll see an electric, hybrid or otherwise alternatively-fueled Hummer within the next five years? "I think five years out, excellent, assured. It's 100%."

Admittedly, that's a lot to chew on. A more environmentally-friendly Hummer would surely be a tough nut to crack, especially since the brand's followers will understandably expect future Hummer models to uphold the rough-and-tumble, go-anywhere nature of the breed. It should prove very interesting to see how this all proceeds, and Taylor certainly has our interest piqued.


Gallery: Detroit 2008: HUMMER HX Concept


[Source: The Detroit Bureau]

REPORT: Independent Hummer sees alt-fuel model within five years, still looking at H4 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 04 Jun 2009 10:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>diesel hummerDieselHummerelectric hummerElectricHummergreenhummerhummer h4hummer hxhummer hx conceptHummerH4HummerHxHummerHxConcepthybrid hummerHybridHummerThu, 04 Jun 2009 10:28:00 EST<![CDATA[HUMMER HX appears in <i>Transformers 2</i>]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/05/hummer-hx-appears-in-i-transformers-2-i/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/05/hummer-hx-appears-in-i-transformers-2-i/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/05/hummer-hx-appears-in-i-transformers-2-i/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Click above for more images of the HX in Transformers 2

These may not be the happiest of times at HUMMER, but it looks like the brand's bitchin' HX concept is going to get some silver screen love. No, not in G.I. Joe, but in Transformers 2. "Destro," a Joe fan over at HISStank.com, posted some TF2 set pics that clearly show the HX on hand in the role of a military vehicle. This is further confirmed over at Slashfilm, where you can see it in yet another batch of photos. While GM decides what to do about HUMMER, the tough-looking, flex-fuel HX concept is going to get some play in what's likely to be next Summer's big event movie. And because it's cool, people are probably going to want to know more about it, just like the first movie made the still-unreleased new Camaro a star in the eyes of the general public. Unfortunately, any plans to turn the HX into the production H4 are now, in all likelihood, very much up in the air at best. Not that it wouldn't be a good starting point for a HUMMER reinvention or anything.

Gallery: HUMMER HX in Transformers 2


[Sources: HISStank, Slashfilm via The Movie Blog]

HUMMER HX appears in Transformers 2 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 05 Jun 2008 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>HUMMERHUMMER HXHummerHxHXHX in TransformersHxInTransformerstransformerstransformers 2Transformers2Thu, 05 Jun 2008 11:29:00 EST<![CDATA[HUMMER HX not in the new <i>G.I. Joe</i> movie]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/24/hummer-hx-not-in-the-new-i-g-i-joe-i-movie/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/24/hummer-hx-not-in-the-new-i-g-i-joe-i-movie/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/24/hummer-hx-not-in-the-new-i-g-i-joe-i-movie/#commentsFiled under: ,


Click above for first high-res official pics from the G.I. Joe movie

The HUMMER HX concept would have made one hell of a live-action VAMP in the upcoming G.I. Joe flick, but we have it on very good authority that this particular bit of vehicular dream casting is not to be. The HUMMER HX/G.I. Joe rumor is one we've been trying to chase down since early last week when we first heard it, and we finally cornered a well-placed source who explained that HUMMERs will appear in the movie, but not the HX. If Clutch had made the cut to be part of the movie's cast of characters, he'd probably be really upset right now. Bummer for GM, too, as HX could have been this movie's Bumblebee. On an unrelated note, it would appear that director Stephen Sommers' wardrobe department got the look for Snake Eyes exactly right. (Ray Park, who played Darth Maul in Phantom Menace, is in the suit.)

Gallery: G.I. Joe movie

HUMMER HX not in the new G.I. Joe movie originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 24 Mar 2008 15:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breakingclutchg.i. joeg.i. joe movieG.i.JoeG.i.JoeMoviegi joeGiJoehummer hxHummerHxsnake eyesSnakeEyesstephen somersStephenSomersvampMon, 24 Mar 2008 15:05:00 EST<![CDATA[Detroit 2008: Hummer HX rappel into COBO (w/VIDEO)]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/13/detroit-2008-hummer-hx-repels-into-cobo/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/13/detroit-2008-hummer-hx-repels-into-cobo/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/13/detroit-2008-hummer-hx-repels-into-cobo/#commentsFiled under: , ,


click above for high-res live shots of the HUMMER HX Concept

We finally got a chance to see the real deal HUMMER HX today, and it was exactly what we expected. Not since the H1 has a Hummer looked so perfect for its intended purpose. We were even lucky enough to get a video tour of the vehicle that you can check out by clicking here. We've already mentioned that it features a 3.6-liter SIDI E85 FlexFuel engine powering all four wheels via a six-speed automatic, and the fact that the HX is essentially a convertible with removable roof panels and a modular rear that opens or stows is clutch. What we weren't able to convey until now is that it's the first V6 HUMMER and that it signals a move towards every HUMMER being available in an E85 form.

Co-designed by recent College for Creative Studies grads David Rojas, Min Young Kang and Robert Jablonski the HUMMER HX Concept is an E85 Flex Fuel-capable, Wrangler-like rock crawler with signature HUMMER styling cues. Okay, maybe it really looks more like an FJ Cruiser or Jeep Hurricane, but we know the HUMMER faithful won't complain. Heck, even the doors and fenders can be removed for off-roading adventures. All the details are available in the press release after the jump.

UPDATE: Video of live reveal added after the jump.

[Source: GM]

Gallery: 2008 Detroit: HUMMER HX - Live Reveal


Gallery: Detroit 2008: HUMMER HX Concept

Continue reading Detroit 2008: Hummer HX rappel into COBO (w/VIDEO)

Detroit 2008: Hummer HX rappel into COBO (w/VIDEO) originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 13 Jan 2008 13:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>DetroitDetroit 2008Detroit Auto ShowDetroit2008DetroitAutoShowHummer HXHummerHxNAIASSun, 13 Jan 2008 13:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Detroit 2008: HUMMER HX Concept]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/08/detroit-2008-hummer-hx-concept/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/08/detroit-2008-hummer-hx-concept/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/08/detroit-2008-hummer-hx-concept/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



Well, there's another embargo blown. HUMMERForums dropped all the images they had of the HUMMER HX concept that was due to be officially unveiled in a scant five days, and Jalopnik followed suit. So here it is, HUMMER's Wrangler-competitor in concept form, complete with a 3.6-liter SIDI E85 FlexFuel engine which sends power to all four wheels via a six-speed auto 'box. The HX is technically a convertible, meaning that the roof panels and modular rear can open or be stowed, while the interior instruments can be reconfigured depending on the type of driving you'll be doing. All the details are available in the press release after the jump.

Gallery: Detroit 2008: HUMMER HX Concept

Continue reading Detroit 2008: HUMMER HX Concept

Detroit 2008: HUMMER HX Concept originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 08 Jan 2008 19:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breakingconceptdetroithummerhummer hxhummer hx conceptHummerHxHummerHxConcepthxnaiasTue, 08 Jan 2008 19:43:00 EST<![CDATA[HUMMER headed to Japan in spring of '08]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/12/11/hummer-headed-to-japan-in-spring-of-08/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/12/11/hummer-headed-to-japan-in-spring-of-08/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/12/11/hummer-headed-to-japan-in-spring-of-08/#commentsFiled under: , ,



Japanese fashionistas are getting a three-ton present from the General this coming spring when it will begin shipping HUMMERs to the Land of the Rising Sun. Martin Walsh, HUMMER's General Manager, told the Detroit News that despite slow vehicle sales in Japan, the island nation will become another niche player for GM's iconic off-roader.

Although Walsh remained mum on what models will be making their way across the Pacific, we were surprised during our recent trip to Japan when we saw a few H2s and H3s making the rounds on Japan's congested motorways. The HX concept revealed yesterday would be an obvious candidate for consumers abroad, and we're convinced that an H5 kei-car would be a winner if HUMMER ever decided to think small(ish).

[Source: Detroit News]

HUMMER headed to Japan in spring of '08 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 11 Dec 2007 07:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>hummerhummer h2hummer h3hummer hxhummer japanHummerH2HummerH3HummerHxHummerJapanjapanTue, 11 Dec 2007 07:47:00 EST