Baby Hummer Got Some Vitamins

For 2008, Hummer has made a few interesting changes to the H3 range. Until now, the baby american SUV could only be equipped with a 3.7 liter L5 petrol engine, but after the unveiling at this year's Geneva Auto Show, a new powerplant will be available: a 5.3 L V8 similar to the one found on the Saab 9-7 X

This new "heart" could develop 305 Hp at 5200 rpm and 432Nm at 4000 rpm. According to the producer, the new engine will help the H3 reach 100 kmh in 8.3 second, while the average fuel consumption is expected to drop to 14.5 liter/100 km, compared to the 14.6l/100 km for the 3.7 with automatic gearbox.

In order to fit the V8 engine to the H3 body, a number of modifications had to be made, including reinforcement of the chassis, new gearbox casing and upgraded suspension to cope with the extra weight. The new engine is coupled to the Hydra-Matic 4L60 electronically controlled four-speed automatic transmission, which allows the H3 V8 to tow a trailer (braked) of up to 2268 kg.

Besides the V8 engine, all H3 models will recieve three new body colours, the alloy wheels have a new lacquer finish, and the front bumper, grille and underbody panels have a new design.

The car will be available through Hummer dealer immediately after the Geneva Auto Show (6 to 16 march). For the launch of the Hummer H3 V8 , a limited edition of 100 Granite units will be produced. All vehicles will be painted in the special Granite Black metallic colour and they will only be available via official HUMMER dealers.