The three new models, H3, H3 Adventure and H3 Luxury, are on sale now with the first customer deliveries expected in July.

Available with either five-speed manual or four-speed automatic depending on the model, H3 will retail from $51,990, H3 Adventure from $57,990 and H3 Luxury from $59,990 (full pricing details below).

GM Holden Chairman and Managing Director, Denny Mooney, made the announcement at the Brisbane Motor Show.

“Hummer is a truly iconic automotive brand. Australian customers can’t wait to climb behind the wheel and our competitive pricing will really shake up the market,” Mr Mooney said.

“The mid-size H3 is an ideal vehicle to launch the brand into Australia. Comparable in size to other mid-size SUVs, H3 is still true to the brand’s extreme heritage, but is more economical and easier to drive in the city than the original H1 and H2. Affectionately known as the ‘baby Hummer’, the H3 is able to achieve the perfect balance between on-road comfort and off-road capability.”

Engine and performance

Powered by a 3.7 litre in-line five cylinder petrol engine, H3 develops peak power of 180 kW at 5,600 rpm and peak torque of 328 Nm at 4,600 rpm (figures as per ECE regulations on regular unleaded petrol). The Vortec 3700 engine has dual overhead cams and variable valve timing.

Official fuel consumption on regular unleaded petrol (ADR 81/01) for H3 for combined highway and urban driving is 13.7 litres per 100 km in manual form, which is comparable to similar mid-size SUVs.

Depending on specification, H3 has a kerb weight of between 2,198 kg for the manual H3 and 2,303 kg for the automatic Adventure, which is also in line with other vehicles in its segment.

Off-road capabilities

“Make no mistake – the H3 has the full off-road capability to live up to the Hummer name,” Mr Mooney said.

“The H3 has been tested in some of the most extreme conditions imaginable and most recently GM Holden engineers tested the vehicle locally and worked with GM South Africa to ensure the vehicle met the needs of our market.”

Its compact size can improve the H3’s maneuverability and ground clearance in off-road situations. In its home market, it is the only vehicle in its segment that can climb a 16 inch vertical wall, scale a 60 per cent grade and traverse a 40 per cent slope. H3 can also ford 407 mm of water at 32 km/hour and 610 mm streams at 8 km/hour.

It has a powertrain-integrated, two-speed, electronically controlled full-time four wheel drive system with a standard low range ratio of 2.64:1.

Safety

Standard active safety features on the H3 include StabiliTrak stability enhancement system, traction control, ABS and dynamic rear proportioning brakes. Passive safety equipment including dual front airbags with passenger sensing system and roof rail mounted side curtain bags is also standard on all H3 vehicles.

Model range

Hummer Australia will launch the H3 in three models: H3, H3 Luxury and H3 Adventure.

In addition to the standard safety features, H3 offers cruise control, electro-chromatic rearview mirror with eight point compass, power windows, fog lights and halogen headlamps, five 16 by 7.5 inch alloy wheels, remote entry with panic alarm, single in-dash CD, cloth seats and 60/40 split rear seats.

In H3 Luxury specification, the vehicle gains the following features over the H3 model: automatic transmission as standard, leather-appointed interior, electric heated front seats with eight way power adjustment, leather wrapped steering wheel, exterior chrome package including door handles, roof cross bars and mirror caps, six-disc in-dash CD changer, Monsoon sound system and glass sunroof.

H3 Adventure is available in manual. It includes the features of the H3 Luxury (excluding sunroof) and takes the H3’s off-road capability to the next level, adding a fully locking electronic rear differential, off-road suspension package and a two-speed transfer case with a low range ratio of 4.03:1.

Pricing

All H3 models are on sale now with first customer deliveries due in July. The recommended retail pricing, excluding dealer delivery and government charges is as follows:

Model            Manual      Automatic
H3                 $51,990    $53,990
H3 Luxury        n/a          $59,990
H3 Adventure   $57,990    $59,990

Metallic paint is a $1,200 option.

Hummer Australia management

Mr Mooney also announced the formation of the GM Premium Channel to manage GM’s premium Marques in Australia, including Hummer and Saab, within the GM Holden organisation.

“I am pleased to announce the appointment of Parveen Batish as the Director of the GM Premium Channel. Parveen will continue to report to Alan Batey, Executive Director, GM Holden Sales, Marketing and Aftersales, with responsibility for the operation of Hummer and Saab in Australia,” Mr Mooney said.

Mr Batish, who is currently the Director of Saab Australia and New Zealand, assumes the Premium Channel role immediately. Mr Batish has worked for GM for more than 11 years, holding senior sales and marketing roles for Saab Great Britain before moving to the Director position in Australia in June last year.

Hummer retail network

The GM Premium Channel has appointed 20 Hummer dealers around Australia with representation in every state and mainland territory. The newly appointed network represents a selection of existing premium Saab, Holden and combined dealerships. All dealers will undergo a redevelopment to incorporate the Hummer brand into their facilities over the next 12 months.

Global production and sales

The H3 is assembled in the General Motors Struandale Assembly Facility in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, which produces left and right-hand drive models for Australia, South Africa and other countries in Europe, Asia and the Middle East.