Hummer downsizes at British Motor Show

With the outlining of the brand new Hummer HX Concept at this week’s British Motor Show, the American 4X4 manufacturer has perhaps finally realised that big is not necessarily best.

That’s right, the American manufacturer of goliath off-road vehicles has been pelted once too often by the stones of European soft-road David’s and decided if it can no longer beat them, then it best join them.

Naturally, being built on t’other side of the Atlantic Hummer hasn’t quite got the grasp of this more environmentally and wallet-friendly way of constructing something compact in 4x4 terms, and believes that what it builds has to still provide enough room to transport a dead Grizzly bear. Or whatever else its driver has been foraging for. Strapped across the bonnet space.

With sales having bombed in its own backyard of late, Hummer knew it had to act fast to stem the steady flow of sales, and conceded it might not be able to fall back on its rustic charm amongst those with an impressive gun cabinet should it wish to continue trading.

Enter the Hummer HX Concept car, alongside the usual fuel/CO2-gulping suspects, the new H3 and H2 production models.

The first thing you notice about the humdinger of a HX Concept is that it’s not really that much smaller than what’s gone before. However, it can be argued that the production model – likely to be called the H4 and pencilled in to go on sale in 2009/10 - is slightly radical by Hummer’s normal bullish ‘go large’ philosophy.

Since when has a Hummer had a convertible body with removable roof panels for a start? Like, never. Unless one’s been re-configured Hollywood style after an explosive action scene. Cue Arnold Schwarzenegger, himself previously such an ambassador for the 4X4 brand you’d have thought he was on the Hummer payroll.

That said, insiders cast doubt as to these lightweight interchangeable body parts that help reduce its overall weight issues and therefore impact on the planet/pocket making it to actual manufacture.

More compact than the Hummer H3 though, the HX sits 2,057mm wide with a 2,616mm wheelbase, and has almost eliminated bulky overhangs, housing griptastic 35” tyres to combat any terrain this side of lunar. Hummer top brass reckons that the HX would be able to scale a 60% gradient if needs be. And it was the only way to McDonalds.

Now to the fun bit, and its power source. Only fun before now if you were an oil-rich Texan ranch dude with a number of wells on your land and a mighty hat atop your head. But now an E85 biofuel compatible 3.6-litre V6 engine amalgamated to a six-sped auto box and four wheel drive system offers some light at the end of the habitually copious fuel demanding tunnel that’s traditionally a hallmark of Hummer ownership.

Priced from £26,495 the 2008 H3 SUV and £48,995 2008 H2 SUV is sadly hewn from more the Hummer mould that’s kinda gotten it into this sales hole in the first place.

Which means they’re as bold, brash and downright curmudgeonly as always and certainly no respecter of the world’s threatened indigenous people, and resolutely showing no signs of remorse for emptying owners wallets faster than a woman of ill repute could.