[31_bandits]

overheard in convo with various other H2 drivers over the weekend:

a diesel is soon-to-arrive, but it will be a six cylinder

the 8 liter vortec engine is forthcoming


IMO, neither seem likely as the former would risk making the H2 even more underpowered on the highway and in the streets, and the latter would probably re-invigorate fuel-economy-scrutiny and give a second wind to the slowly fading hummer-gas-hog-panic, and i doubt GMs marketing team is silly enough to do that.

I would guess you could get an EPA rating in the low 20's for highway driving with

a 500lb diet
slight aerodynamic improvements (without making it look sleek, keep the hummer look)
a tranny that was designed around the EPA test the way many vehicles are. The test is standardized and can be designed around. Don't think the high ratings of many cars isn't based on that and I assume that considerable R&D time at Toyota goes to this.

With a duramax and EPA-tuned tranny, i wonder if one could get in the mid 20's highway? Sure you could.


Of course, the H2 isn't currently subject to EPA ratings, but i do think that a public demonstration of at least reasonable mileage would be good for the Hummer brand. Maybe GM could just make a better-mileage H2 and voluntarily subject it to the EPA test. If it could be done, it wouldn't be a stupid move from an image/marketing perspective.

After all, the lack of an EPA rating lets GM dodge the bullet with the H2, but it also lets enviro's call it an "8mpg behemoth" in their propaganda.