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Hummer EV Is All About Civilian Life Now, So the U.S. Army Got Its First GM ISV

While all eyes are on the latest introductions in the SUV and truck segments, General Motors is also diligently taking care of the military side of the market. And from 2020 onward, is proudly taking charge in securing the tradition of producing specialized army vehicles with the GM Defense’s new Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV), based on the 2020 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2.
2020 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 GM Defense ISV 9 photos
Photo: GM Defense
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There are some big shoes to fill here. That’s because the U.S. Army has depended for decades on legendary vehicles such as the original Jeep (Willys MB / Ford GPW) or the “Humvee” (High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle - HMMWV). And, as such, is trying to establish a new lineage next to Jeep or AM General.

Sure, GM already has a connection to the military side – as it owns the marketing rights for the Hummer name thanks to a deal with AM General. But, on this occasion, it’s not the 2022 Hummer EV that’s making a case for itself supporting the troops. Nope, the latter is out there battling for brand image supremacy with the likes of Blue Oval’s reinvented Bronco, or Fiat Chrysler’s spectacular Ram TRX.

Instead, GM Defense has based the new Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV) on the medium-sized Colorado ZR2 after winning back in June the contract from the U.S. Army. In keeping its promises, the GM subsidiary has now announced the first delivery for the “light and agile all-terrain troop carrier intended to transport a nine-Soldier infantry squad and their equipment.”

The company seems all set to produce exactly 649 ISVs, while the military brass also has the option to request the production of up to 2,065 vehicles with additional authorization from GM Defense up to 2028.

It shouldn’t be too hard to manufacture the new military vehicle, as it uses the architecture of the civilian off-roader as well as “90 percent proven commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) parts, including Chevrolet Performance race components.”

On the other hand, the “naked” but not so light at all 5,000 lbs. (2,268 kg) ISV does fulfill specific criteria – such as the ability to be sling-loaded from a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter, or fit inside the larger CH-47 Chinook, and also comes with a Rollover Protection System.

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About the author: Aurel Niculescu
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Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution.
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