The Hummer HX is a two-door off-road concept that General Motors revealed at the 2008 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. It was designed as a smaller, cheaper Hummer for the compact SUV market, about the size of a Jeep Wrangler, and it carried the rugged styling of the H1 into a much smaller package.
Hummer HX at a glance
| Type | two-door off-road concept SUV |
|---|---|
| Revealed | 2008 North American International Auto Show |
| Project name | H4, begun in 2004 |
| Engine | 3.6 L V6 |
| Gearbox | six-speed automatic |
| Construction | body-on-frame |
| Suspension | independent front and rear |
| Brakes | four-wheel disc |
| Drive | full-time four-wheel drive |
| Seats | four |
| Paint | matte olive |
| Production | never built by GM |
Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the HX.
History of the Hummer HX
The HX began in 2004 as an internal project called H4. Its aim was to test whether Hummer could sell a vehicle in the smaller and lower-priced part of the SUV market, and the target size was that of the Jeep Wrangler. The show car that appeared in Detroit in 2008 was smaller than both the H2 and the H3. Under the skin it kept the layout of the bigger Hummers: a body-on-frame structure, independent suspension at both ends, four-wheel disc brakes and permanent four-wheel drive, with a 3.6-litre V6 and a six-speed automatic transmission.
The concept was finished in a desert-inspired matte olive paint, in a slant-back body style. Its doors were removable, with exposed hinge pins, and the composite fender flares were fixed with quarter-turn quick-release fasteners. The same matte olive was used inside, where most panels were bare sheet metal and the floor was covered in a rubberised material. The HX seated four, with a pair of bucket seats in the second row that could be removed to make cargo space. There was no conventional radio: the console had a compartment for phones and MP3 players, integrated speakers and a connector for digital players.
Three young designers who had recently joined General Motors from the College for Creative Studies took part in the project: Robert Jablonski, Kang Min-young from South Korea and David Rojas from Peru. The HX never reached production through GM, but the name was later licensed to MEV (My Electric Vehicle), which sells a small electric vehicle called the Hummer HX. It is considerably smaller than the concept, uses a 72-volt system with a brushless AC motor, has a range of more than 60 miles and a top speed of 19 mph, and is intended as a resort vehicle or golf cart. MEV also offers the HXT, a soft-top version.
Design and features
- Wrangler-sized: the HX was meant to open a smaller and cheaper segment for Hummer.
- Removable body parts: doors with exposed hinge pins and quick-release fender flares.
- Utilitarian cabin: exposed sheet metal, a rubberised floor and removable rear seats.
- No radio: a phone and MP3 compartment with a digital player connector instead.
- Real off-road layout: body-on-frame, independent suspension, four-wheel disc brakes and permanent four-wheel drive.
Hummer HX versions
- HX concept (2008): the single show car in matte olive with a 3.6 L V6.
- MEV Hummer HX: a small electric resort vehicle later sold under the licensed name.
- MEV Hummer HXT: the soft-top version of the electric vehicle.
The HX was intended to sit below the Hummer H3 and the larger Hummer H2, whose styling it echoed. More cars are in the Hummer collection.
Sources
- Hummer HX, English Wikipedia: design, show car, MEV licence
