General Motors reportedly wants to do more with its Hummer brand. It is currently used on the GMC Hummer EV SUV and pickup models, but according to a new report, GM may be looking to expand the range of Hummer-badged models with a considerably smaller midsize pickup.
For reference, weighing over 9,000 pounds, the GMC Hummer EV pickup (pictured) has the same footprint as a heavy-duty truck (at least in terms of overall width). It’s also really expensive (it currently starts at just over $110,000) and also impractical for many potential buyers who may otherwise be tempted to own something with a Hummer badge.
According to Automotive News, GM already has a design concept proposal ready in its California design studio, and the likelihood if it going through and becoming a production model is reportedly very high. The automaker wants to use the notoriety of the Hummer brand to allow it to sell more expensive vehicles, basically a rugged, off-road equivalent to Cadillac, the group’s most luxury-focused brand.
Gallery: 2022 GMC Hummer EV First Drive
GM has said it wants to spend $35-billion to have 30 new EVs on the market and since a midsize Hummer pickup would fetch a premium compared to similar offerings from Chevrolet or GMC, it is surely a priority project for the manufacturer.
The Hummer brand, which GM acquired from AM General in 1999, ended up having a very poor image by the time it was cancelled in 2010 - nobody was buying anything that said Hummer back then as buyers were looking for more efficient vehicles. But Hummer was revived in 2021 as a premium electric off-road brand under GMC, and it seems that the rebranding worked and now people no longer associate it with gas-guzzlers of old.
If GMC gave this project the green light, it’s unclear how big the vehicle would be. The GMC Hummer EV is wider yet shorter than a double cab GMC Sierra - its overall length is roughly in line with a Rivian R1T. It would certainly be a narrower vehicle, probably the exact size of the Sierra or maybe even smaller, possibly the size of a GMC Canyon, especially if GMC wants to sell it outside the US too, as is speculated in the source article.
