Posted on Thursday 9 November 2006
The head of GM’s Hummer brand has told reporters that the brand will be launching a new truck in 2009. According to Hummer’s General Manager Martin Walsh, “the new product will have unparalleled off-road capabilities, and like our current Hummers it would be recognizable from a distance.”
Hummer is one of the few GM brands that’s actually experiencing significant levels of growth, especially in Europe where most of GM’s other brands have achieved lackluster results. Further, the company has just started production of the smaller H3 model in South Africa and launched the brand for the first time in Australia.
Production of the original H1 ceased in June, so currently there’s only the H2 and H3 models in Hummer’s lineup. When asked about the possibility of a hybrid variant, Walsh stated that “Hummer doesn’t really see hybrid technology as an ideal platform because it does not allow the vehicle to demonstrate true off-road capabilities.” Instead, they’re looking into flex-fuel options as part of the brand’s future plans. GM’s product chief Bob Lutz also mentioned previously that Hummer needs to add two or three more models, so we may see even more new models in the near future.