Hummer H3

The Hummer H3 is a vehicle from General Motors' Hummer division introduced in 2006 and based on the GMT355 that underpins the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon compact pickup trucks. Currently produced at GM's Shreveport, Louisiana factory and the Port Elizabeth plant in South Africa the H3 is the smallest of the Hummer models, and the first to be built by GM. It is available either as a traditional midsize SUV or as a midsize pickup known as the H3T.

In 2007 GM South Africa launched their first Hummer production facility in Port Elizabeth, this move introduced the Hummer brand to the South African market and also somewhat lightened the load of the Shreveport factory in Louisiana. The plant manufactures only the Hummer H3, and builds for the South African market as well as the Asian and European continent.

The H3 was launched with a 3.5 liter straight-5 cylinder L52 engine that produced 220 hp (160 kW) and 225 ft·lbf (305 N·m) of torque and was mated to a standard five-speed manual transmission or an optional Hydra-Matic 4L60-E four-speed automatic transmission. In 2007 this engine was replaced by 3.7 liter LLR that produced 242 hp (180 kW) and 242 ft·lbf (328 N·m) of torque, figures that were revised in 2009 to 239 hp (178 kW) and 241 ft·lbf (327 N·m). Under revised EPA testing standards when equipped with either transmission this straight-5 engine achieves 14 mpg-US (17 l/100 km) in the city and 18 mpg-US (13 l/100 km) on the highway with a combined average of 15 mpg-US (16 l/100 km). Available solely with the automatic transmission, a 5.3 liter LH8 V8 producing 300 hp (220 kW) and 320 ft·lbf (430 N·m) of torque was added in 2008 for the Alpha model of the H3 and returns slightly lower fuel economy estimated at 13 mpg-US (18 l/100 km) in the city, 16 mpg-US (15 l/100 km) on the highway, with a combined average of 14 mpg-US (17 l/100 km).[1]

In 2012, the H3 and H3T are expected to be facelifted along with the total redesign of their Colorado/Canyon siblings. The 281 hp 3.6 L LLT V6 found in the Chevrolet Traverse is expected to replace the current 3.7 Atlas I5 model with the promise of better fuel economy. The 5.3 Vortec V8 is still expected to stay in production.