By Nick Syn

SPORTS UTILITY VEHICLE (SUV) buyers will soon be able to add a completely new brand to their shopping lists, if plans
to sell Hummers in Singapore go through.

CarBuyer has learned that General Motors, which owns the Hummer brand, intends to start selling the H3 in the Asia Pacific region by early 2007. Production of right-hand drive cars is scheduled to begin late this year in South Africa.

The H3 – the smallest model in Hummer’s three-car range – was first launched in the USA in mid 2005. It’s around the same length as a Lexus RX300, although its 1.89m height might cause some clearance
problems in basement carparks.

Power comes from a 3.5-litre five-cylinder engine with 220bhp and 305Nm of torque. Hummer doesn’t quote any performance figures but the four-speed automatic H3 is expected to accelerate from 0-100km/h in around 10 seconds.

CarBuyer recently drove an H3 in Los Angeles and found it to be surprisingly refined given its relatively simple mechanical layout. It shares its platform with a Chevrolet pick-up and has leaf springs on the rear axle.

Despite this, the H3 rides pretty well and manages to mask its 2.1 tonne kerb weight in corners. Outward visibility is also good in spite of the shallow windscreens and side windows.

Hummer says the car can ford streams up to 60cm deep and climb 40cm vertical steps and rocks. Buyers are, however, more likely to be enamoured of the H3’s military vehicle-inspired styling than its off-road ability.

The original Hummer, launched in 1991, was actually a civilian version of the US Army’s High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV, or Humvee).
This model is still sold today as the H1.

A GM spokesman said that no decision has yet been made as to who will distribute Hummers here, should a local introduction be confirmed. Hummer would be the fourth brand (joining Chevrolet, Opel and Saab) in GM’s
portfolio of 11 marques to be sold here.