Smaller Hummer concepts suggest fresh opportunities beyond today’s oversized EV lineup. SUV concept targets hardcore off-roaders with trail-ready hardware and ground clearance. Longer pickup concept blends Chevrolet Colorado proportions with futuristic technology. GMC’s Hummer EVs are too big and too expensive to register on most American buyers’ radar, but maybe that’s about to change. The heavy-duty GM brand just pulled the covers off two concepts that it swears aren’t destined for production, but give us a taste of what we might expect from a future generation of smaller, leaner-looking Hummers. The concepts were unveiled alongside the opening of GM’s new Advanced Design studio in Pasadena, California, a 148,000 square feet studio spread across three buildings and home to 100 staff. Called the Hummer X SUV and Hummer X Truck, both are significantly shorter than today’s Hummer EV models and were, we’re told, created as rolling laboratories for new design, manufacturing, and technology ideas. Related: Thieves Drove Two New Hummer EVs Off A Train, You Can Guess The Rest First up is the Bronco-sized Hummer X SUV. Measuring 188.3 inches (4,783 mm) long with a 116-inch (2,946 mm) wheelbase, it’s 10.7 inches (272 mm) shorter between the axles than a current Hummer SUV, while retaining the chunky stance and visual toughness buyers expect from the nameplate. The off-road credentials are equally serious. GM fitted the concept with 37-inch tires, beadlock wheels, Multimatic dampers, removable fender flares, substantial underbody protection, and enough ground clearance to handle some really gnarly obstacles. Approach and departure angles of 44 and 46 degrees suggest the designers weren’t merely focused these things simply looking ready for off-road action. Inside, the concept explores a highly configurable cockpit featuring stackable infotainment displays that can be added or removed depending on how much information drivers want available. There’s even a drone that can scout terrain ahead and relay information back to the vehicle. The Hummer X Truck follows a similar philosophy but packages it in a familiar pickup shape. At 207.3 inches (5,265 mm) long and riding on a 130.7-inch (3,319 mm) wheelbase, it’s much bigger than the SUV, but slots into midsize truck territory rather competing with today’s XXL Hummer truck. Flex Fab Technology Like the SUV, it incorporates removable components, rugged off-road hardware, and a design intended to support customization. GM also used the concepts to showcase Flex Fab manufacturing technology, which allows low-volume metal parts production without traditional stamping tools. GM is adamant these vehicles aren’t destined for showrooms. That’s probably true. But the ideas behind them feel harder to dismiss. The Hummer brand remains surprisingly underutilized given its recognition and the fashion for tough-looking utilities. And a family of smaller, more affordable off-road EVs would arguably make more sense than relying solely on enormous six-figure flagships that are selling so badly GM had to shut the plant down. Even if these exact concepts never reach production, don’t be surprised if elements of their DNA eventually filter into future Hummers aimed at the likes of Ford’s Bronco and Jeep’s Wrangler and Gladiator. And probably sooner than you’d think. GM
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