• Back    • Refer To Friend   • Print

As it did with the H2, Hummer is adding pickup traits to its smallest sport/utility.

The H3T will roll out at the Chicago auto show and go on sale this fall.

To create the H3T, engineers started by stretching the H3 sport/utility's wheelbase by 22 inches. From the B-pillar forward, the H3T is carried over from its SUV brother. But the rear section of the cab and the five-foot pickup bed are exclusive to the H3T.

Out back, the bed design mirrors those found in General Motors' full-size trucks, with an easy-to-remove tailgate and a bed-rail accessory system. Hummer claims the bed is sized to hold full sheets of plywood, a couple of dirt bikes or an ATV.

The five-passenger crew-cab cabin is identical to the that of SUV. A rear 60/40-split bench seat can fold flat for increased cargo-hauling configurations.

The H3T is equipped with standard full-time four-wheel drive, 32-inch tires and underbody skid plates.

For hard-core trail warriors, an off-road adventure package is available. The optional equipment includes taller 33-inch tires, locking front and rear differentials, specially tuned shocks and a low-range gearing transfer case.

The engine lineup is shared with the H3 SUV: a base 3.7-liter, 242-hp, inline-five cylinder or a 5.3-liter, 300-hp V8 in Alpha models. Towing capacity for the base engine is 4400 pounds; with the V8, it is 5900 pounds. The inline-five can be mated to either a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic, while the V8 gets the automatic as standard.

The H3T is set to arrive in showrooms in July or August. Prices have not yet been set.