Hummer HX Concept

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What is it?
Hummer HX Concept

What's special about it?
This is the small Hummer we've been expecting for years. It's called the HX Concept and it was conceived by a trio of GM's youngest designers. They were told to create a smaller, more youthful Hummer that still incorporated all the trademark design cues that have defined the current Hummer lineup. In other words, "What would a Hummer H4 look like?"

The result is the HX Concept, a two-door, open-top trail-runner roughly the size of a Toyota FJ Cruiser. At 81 inches, it's slightly wider than the Toyota, but its 103-inch wheelbase is 3 inches shorter than the FJ.

Dig deeper, however, and the HX is more like a Jeep Wrangler. The doors and fender flares are removable and the top reconfigurable. Remove the rear section and it's an SUT; add the square top and it's a two-door wagon. Here it wears a slant-back top that gives the HX the look of a Baja race truck.

"This is the Hummer design language stripped down to its essence," says David Rojas, creative designer. "The HX has an aggressive appearance and great proportions, with beauty lying in its functional austerity." In English, this means the designers tried to make this Hummer look athletic instead of merely big and powerful. They kept the exterior trim down to a minimum while minimizing the overhangs. They even machined extra metal out of the suspension arms just to save weight.

This fat-trimming aesthetic continues into the cabin, where exposed metal is the primary source of decoration. The neoprene-upholstered seats are designed to withstand exposure to the elements, and the floor is rubberized — as it should be in a dedicated off-roader.

Designers didn't bother with a conventional audio system in the HX, figuring that owners would simply prefer to plug in their iPods using the USB port. As in most concepts, instrumentation is present in LCD format and is reconfigurable according to the driver's taste. Owners can even upload current trail information into the navigation system.

Although styling defines the HX concept, Hummer took the trouble to fit it with a real drivetrain. There's a direct-injected 3.6-liter V6 under the hood, and a six-speed automatic transmission drives all four wheels through a full-time four-wheel-drive system. In addition to locking differentials, the HX offers antiroll bars that can be electronically disconnected to enhance off-highway wheel articulation.

What's Edmunds' take?
If Hummer can bring an H4 to showrooms that's even half as cool as the HX, no one will care if gas is $4 per gallon. — Ed Hellwig, Senior Editor