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Hummer
The original H1 Hummer, a civilized version of the military High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle, or Hum-Vee, came from Hummer's parent company, AM General. But General Motors has marketing rights to the Hummer label and at GM's Hummer Division there are junior versions spawned from the H1 Alpha. Hummer's 2008 line encompasses the H2 SUV (sport utility vehicle) and H2 SUT (sport utility truck), plus a reduced-size H3 SUV and new V8-powered H3 Alpha SUV.
The H2 SUV seems like a smaller version of the original H1 Alpha. It rides on a modified chassis off the Chevrolet Tahoe SUV. Versions for 2008 score a new 6.2-liter V8 worth 393 hp and linked to a six-speed automatic transmission. Every H2 stocks a full-time four-wheel-drive (4WD) system. H2's cabin gets reworked with curtain-style air bags in place, new seats with front buckets, a three-place bench on the second row and a third bench for two. There's a new overhead DVD video entertainment system for rear riders and a standard rear HVAC system.
Th H2 SUT functions as both wagon and truck. Where the SUV shows an extended roofline and boxed rear wagon bay, the SUT clips the roof to form an abbreviated truck bed roughly four by three feet in size. Then the back wall of the cabin functions as a door -- it folds down and forms a generous extension of the truck box. Like the SUV, H2 the SUT earns a new 6.2-liter V8 pumping 393 hp through the new six-speed auto shifter. Thanks to the new powertrain, towing capacity increases to 8200 pounds.
The Hummer H3 SUV looks like a whittled H2. It's a mid-size model one step down in size from H2. For 2008 the H3 line includes a V8-powered model called H3 Alpha. It stocks a 5.3-liter V8 which romps with 300 hp. H3 employs a 3.7-liter in-line-five for 242 hp through a five-speed manual transmission or four-speed automatic. For safety, StabiliTrak skid controls, OnStar telecommunications and standard curtain-style air bags are aboard, plus a four-wheel anti-lock brake system (ABS) with traction control system (TCS). The optional Rear Vision gear adds a bumper camera to spot obstacles behind the H3.
