<DIV align=left><FONT face="Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif"
size=2>(08:30July05,2004)
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2005 Hummer H2
SUT</FONT>
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Hummer for Haulin': H2 Adds a Pickup-Like Truck Bed for More
Versatility</FONT>
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By TOM
TRACE </FONT></P>
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2005 HUMMER H2
SUT
ON SALE: Now
BASE PRICE:
$52,845
POWERTRAIN: 6.0-liter, 325-hp, 365-lb-ft V8; 4wd,
four-speed automatic
CURB WEIGHT: 6400 pounds
0
TO 60 MPH: 10.0 seconds (mfr.)
By now it’s not really necessary
to squint eyes when you see a Hummer-like vehicle on the road and ask your
buddy, "Is that one of those big Hummers, or one of the baby ones?" It’s
probably the Hummer H2, the smaller, more refined kin to the war-bred and
beastly H1. These things are everywhere, and it prompts even the layman to ask
what’s next for H2.
Think "truckness."
General Motors’ Hummer H2
SUT—for sport/utility truck—delivers another twist to the Hummer lineup by
adding a pickup-style bed to the H2. The effect is actually pretty cool. First,
picture the H2 and imagine notching out the rear cargo area and replacing it
with a truck bed. If you get the idea but still think the hauling area is too
small, then you’re in for a surprise. The H2 SUT’s carrying-capabilities benefit
from a Midgate (like in the Chevy Avalanche and Cadillac Escalade EXT) that
drops to expand its cargo/hauling area into the rear portion of the
cabin.
Though you need to complete a short series of steps to gain all
52.7 cubic feet of usable space, the operation is easy to execute. First, lower
the power Midgate window. Next, the rear seats fold flat. The last step involves
unlocking the Midgate with the press of a button, and then you’re ready for
big-time hauling. The bed features four tie-down spots capable of holding 500
pounds each, as well as a handy auxiliary air outlet for inflating tires,
camping equipment, bike tires and the like.
The H2 SUT’s design is
more than just a novelty, and can come in handy for all truck-type duties. If
you don’t need to use the available bed space, the entire procedure can be
reversed just as quickly. A hard tonneau cover that locks in place over the
cargo area is an option.
The only hole we could shoot in the H2 SUT’s
Midgate concept is obvious—its ability to haul cargo means, at times, some
almost open-air motoring. From our experience driving an Avalanche, we can
attest that hauling drywall on a frigid Midwestern day is no party.
The Hummer guys smile
when they hear this, and take a different whiff on fresh air. A one-touch,
dash-mounted but- ton lowers all four windows and the rear glass
simultan-eously. Open the moonroof and the Midgate, and the H2 SUT becomes a
giant convertible. So while Minnesota natives might freeze appendages midwinter,
the new H2 could become Florida’s latest beach-scene darling. Call it
versatility.
Power comes from GM’s husky, 6.0-liter Vortec 6000 V8,
which makes 325 hp at 5200 rpm. Torque is rated at 365 lb-ft at 4000 rpm. The
V8, which is the same powerplant as in the H2, mates to a heavy-duty Hydra-Matic
four-speed transmission with overdrive and full-time four-wheel drive.
A leisurely
drive through Arizona’s back country confirmed GM’s continuing effort to inject
premium ride and interior comfort into Hummer. Three hours of tricky rock
climbing and trail busting in dusty desert terrain proved something else: The H2
SUT is no wuss. It can haul gear and people to remote areas that would make a
weekend warrior grin.
The H2 SUT is in showrooms, starting at
$52,845.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>