GMC Hummer X Truck and SUV ConceptsGMC (GMC)Since its relaunch under GMC, the all-electric Hummer subbrand has been all about being extra large and in charge. The big, in-your-face Hummer truck and SUV offer outrageous power and performance with impressive off-road capability, but they’ve always been held back by their transparent size and weight. GM’s new Advanced Design center in Pasadena, California, has some ideas on how to handle those drawbacks, and they’re personified by the GMC Hummer X Truck and SUV concepts.GMC Hummer X Truck ConceptGMC (GMC)Solve for XBefore you get too excited, GM is being very upfront about the possibility of production versions of these concepts: there is none. The X siblings are design exercises and thought experiments intended to explore new ideas, new designs, new technologies, and new ways to build cars. Still, the concepts give us more than a hint at what the thinking may be around the future of Hummer-branded models, which have been dogged recently by slow sales and production pauses as a result. Namely, they suggest that GM may be reconsidering its decision not to compete with the Jeep Wrangler and Ford Bronco head-on and is now seriously thinking about introducing smaller, less-expensive Hummer models to round out the lineup.The Wrangler and Bronco influence is plain to see, and GM isn’t being shy about it. The company says the X concepts are intended to be rock crawlers that are reconfigurable and easy to modify. Numerous features are clearly inspired by or straight-up copied from Wranglers and Broncos and not previously seen on production Hummers. Even the dimensions are nearly dead-on.The GMC Hummer X SUV ConceptManufacturer - MotorTrend (Manufacturer - MotorTrend)GM has left the powertrains up in the air, but given that Hummer is a pure EV brand, it stands to reason the concepts are as well. Visual cues like the large mass under the doors and independent suspension suggest it’s the same layout as the production Hummers, with an under-floor battery and front and rear motors.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe concepts also showcase some new ideas about sustainability and recycled materials. The seatbacks, headrest backs, and dashboard end caps are all made of chopped up car fascias. The team also did away with adhesives wherever possible in favor of clips, snaps, and fasteners. This makes the parts easier to remove and replace, which means they’re easy to sell or give away to others rather than ending up in the trash. Making parts from single materials should also make them easier to recycle.GMC Hummer X SUV Concept rearPhoto credit: GMCRear view of the GMC Hummer X SUV ConceptGMC Hummer X SUV Concept interiorPhoto credit: GMCInterior of the GMC Hummer X SUV ConceptGMC Hummer X SUV Concept floorPhoto credit: GMCGMC Hummer X SUV Concept floor with Morse codeGMC Hummer X SUV Concept door handlePhoto credit: GMCAdvertisementAdvertisementDoor handle on the GMC Hummer X SUV ConceptGMC Hummer X SUV ConceptThe X SUV is clearly the more radical of the two, and the more significant. It’s obviously aimed squarely at the Wrangler Rubicon and Bronco Raptor, cribbing design ideas from both while posting dimensions that split the difference between the two.Just check the numbers. The wheelbase is slightly shorter than the Bronco Raptor’s at 116 inches, while the overall length is nearly identical to the Wrangler Rubicon at 188.3 inches. Width splits the difference almost perfectly at 80 inches even, while a low, concept car roof brings the height in shortest at 72.9 inches. Ground clearance, however, stands at 13.2 inches and just barely edges out the Bronco Raptor.With such similar dimensions, 37-inch tires, and basically no front or rear overhangs, the X SUV comes big with off-road clearance. Approach angle is 44 degrees, third best and slightly less than the Wrangler Rubicon. A departure angle of 46 degrees, though, blows the other two off the trail.AdvertisementAdvertisementTake a walk around it and you can see the competitors’ influence. Hood tie-downs and passenger grab handle from the Ford, removable swimsuit top and cargo-mounted spare tire from the Jeep. Unlike the crosstown rivals, though, the X SUV Concept features independent suspension at all four corners, backed by Multimatic shocks.Other bits are all Hummer, like the trim pieces over the fender flares and the general shape of the dash. The doors and headlights are obviously Hummer, while the taillights are a fresh idea, but one we’ve seen on other types of vehicles. The center console is actually a very telling piece as it speaks to how much narrower the X SUV is than the Hummer EV SUV, as do the tires and fender flares sticking out well past the body.Also, if you’re wondering about the floormats and your Morse code is a bit rusty, they read “the courage to get lost leads to new discoveries,” which was the design team’s mantra for this project.GMC Hummer X Truck ConceptGMC (GMC)GMC Hummer X Truck ConceptBy comparison, the X Truck Concept is far more conventional. The roof appears to be fixed, which would be a reversal from the existing Hummer EV truck. It, too, borrows the hood tie-downs from Ford but otherwise is its own design and very similar to the X SUV.AdvertisementAdvertisementDimensionally, it’s almost exactly the size of a Chevrolet Colorado ZR2. The wheelbase is slightly shorter at 130.7 inches, as is the overall length at 207.3 inches. Credit the lack of front overhang for a lot of that length difference. The cut-down concept car roof similarly accounts for the X Truck being substantially shorter at 73 inches flat, because with 12.5 inches of ground clearance it easily bests the ZR2. The 35-inch tires don’t hurt, either. The X Truck is also narrower at just 80 inches, a nice change of pace from the enormously wide production Hummers.The GMC Hummer X Truck Concept interiorManufacturer - MotorTrend (Manufacturer - MotorTrend)Those short little overhangs make for some serious off-road clearance. The ZR2 does damn fine work off-road, but the X Truck’s 41.5-degree approach angle and 29.7-degree departure angle take the Chevy to school. Like the X SUV, it features a fully independent suspension and Multimatic shocks.
