MOAB, Utah – The title of our first drive of the 2024 GMC Hummer EV SUV included the phrase, “It’s big, but this elephant can dance.” The truck earned that compliment after a day of traversing the back alleys of San Francisco and the more difficult back roads in Napa Valley. But an SUV cannot be called a supertruck if it does not have appropriate command of the terrain. So GMC led a group of media members to Moab, Utah, to tour the Hummer’s favorite haunts.
What happens when you subtract 20 inches of overall length and nine inches of wheelbase from a megafauna pickup truck? You’ll notice that the dancing doesn’t stop where the sidewalk ends. With the ability to roam Moab’s challenging terrain – and plenty of space – the SUV is more than ready to do the hokey pokey and turn around.
Admittedly, we knew this from our first Hummer SUT ride two years ago, which also took place among the red rocks and red dust of Moab. The two variants have the same tricks, and GMC engineers chose Moab for prototype development, so successfully tackling the trails was out of the question. The SUV is simply more nimble than the SUT.
The clearance angles are better overall. Compared to the SUT, the SUV’s approach angle of 49.6 degrees is only 0.1 better, but the approach angle of 49 degrees is 10.6 degrees better and the ramp angle is 2.2 degrees better. Using all-wheel steering to turn the SUV’s shorter wheelbase reduces the already tiny turning circle by 1.7 feet to 35.4 feet. That’s just three feet wider than a BMW i3, but 14 feet more compact than a GMC Sierra Crew Cab with a short box.
And there are “only” 15 standard cameras in the SUV, one fewer than the 16 cameras in the SUT; The pickup truck adds an angle to the bed that the SUV doesn’t have.
Our 3X trim features three engines with a combined output of 830 horsepower and 1,200 pound-feet of torque. The $9,995 Extreme Off-Road Package featured rock sliders with integrated steps capable of supporting 1.5 times the Hummer’s weight, full underbody protection coating, two additional underbody cameras front and rear, an electronic locking mechanical front differential for the single front motor, a virtual rear differential (programming that causes the two rear motors to behave like a locked differential), heavy-duty ball splines, tow hooks and black 18-inch wheels on 35-inch Goodyear Wrangler Mud-Terrain Tires.
Adding this package to the base price of $104,650, plus $1,495 Infinity Roof, $450 Void Black paint, $150 all-weather rubber mat for the 11-cubic-foot trunk, and $2,295 destination charge, The asking price totaled $119,080 before taxes and fees.
Yes, the Hummer, like so many of today’s on- and off-road vehicles, is packed with capabilities that buyers making six figures will never experience because they don’t want to risk their investments. Oh well. Engineers thrive on pushing boundaries, automakers want to justify prices, markets need to keep up with the Joneses, and buyers love bragging rights. Everyone wins.
Plus, like many expensive SUVs these days, the Hummer is not only great off-road, it also gets the job done with remarkably little effort considering the weight rating.
At the trailhead for the Cameo Cliffs/Hook and OHV Ladder Trail System, we turned on off-road mode and boarded the convoy heading into the afterlife. The adaptive air suspension and its Sachs-ZF dampers do a great job: They hold back four tons while several hundred pounds of wheels and tires wobble over the dirt. We found the setup to be a bit too firm for our liking due to the light and moderate geography, stiffness being transmitted directly through the seat on the open trail, and bumpy landings at mid-single digit speeds over smaller rocky sections. Part of this could be due to tire pressure. The sticker on the door jamb says 45 psi, we spent the day between 38 and 41 psi. Reducing it to around 31 or 32 would have provided significantly more padding. Still, with four inches of lift available between raised and extended modes, we wish Hummer had a few more inches of give. The Hummer SUV felt adequately cushioned everywhere, especially in technical sections like descending rock stairs where you have to expect various impacts.
Apparently the suspension was firmer at one time. GMC told us that engineers brought the SUV to Moab with front and rear anti-roll bars during prototype testing. It quickly became clear that the rear was too stiff, so engineers kept the front anti-roll bar and left off the rear, working with Sachs ZF to reprogram the suspension. The change came so late in prototype testing that our production unit still had tabs on the rear lower control arms where the bar would have bolted.
The Hummer’s four-wheel steering is one of those modern blessings that makes old people say, “You don’t know how good you have it!” Back in my day…” Do you overshoot the entrance to a tight corner? Turn the wheel, let the back end go around and continue. Nothing more about it. “Three-point turnaround” is a terrible foreign language for the Hummer EV. The only potential downside is that the owner of a Hummer electric vehicle has to drive with someone in a regular vehicle, constantly reminding the driver, “My Hummer could have done this in one go.” However, rear-wheel steering is sometimes overkill, for example at low speeds off the track. Sometimes you want the back to follow the front instead of wagging the steering wheel with slight movements.
Because an electric vehicle lacks the feedback of an internal combustion engine when climbing hills, GMC engineers programmed a louder accelerator pedal noise in Off-Road mode to give the driver a feel for what the Hummer is doing. We wouldn’t mind if the noise was a little louder. The Goodyear Wrangler’s traction control system and grip are so good that it’s tempting to apply the throttle lightly and steadily and let the Hummer work its way up a steep rock face. As the Hummer worked its way up an obstacle twice, we only realized how much effort the SUV was putting in when we smelled the smell of burning rubber. After that, in the interest of mechanical compassion and compassion for the landscape, we hit the back locker button early.
Our only real gripe was the braking effect in Off-Road mode on Low. In Drive mode, the brakes apply quickly yet progressively, ensuring a firm, natural stop. At speeds below 20 miles per hour, Low applies the brakes like an emergency stop, holding the truck in place until the driver presses the accelerator. We tried it twice and ended up sticking to Drive the entire way. We would only ever use Low in a tricky situation where an inch too far could mean the lobster goes home in pieces. Crab Walk also seems to be best suited for extreme scenarios, such as when a wheel has gone over the edge of a path or dune crest and you don’t want the tail to be in tow, but instead want the tail to pull itself up.
Otherwise, the Hummer made for a relaxing Saturday ride in the park, albeit an exceptionally wide ride. The 86.5-inch width takes some getting used to, you sit high up and the huge square hood stretches out before you like The Great Plains. Yes, you can lean your head out the window and watch the front and rear wheels on the driver’s side, but on the opposite side it’s over seven feet. And yes, all of those camera angles show what’s around and below them, but video images distort perspective so they don’t give the eye the same insight into angles and depth as when looking at something. There are no deal-breakers here, just aspects of Hummer driving that take some getting used to. Rather, they are aspects that you have to get used to again; the Hummer H2 was 81.3 inches wide.
As with our other First Drives, the Hummer EV once again proves to be a solid piece of kit. When we make a megafauna comparison, we start with a fictional animal: a dragon. It’s big and imposing, cool and outrageous, it’s unlike anything else out there. And the instruction manual would have no title How to train your dragon made easyit would be What you should know about dragons. You don’t tame the lobster, you learn what it needs and how to deal with it. This isn’t for everyone as an owner, but for those with the purchase price, Targaryen adventurous spirit and a stable to match, the chance to make a dragon dance is worth the minimal outlay.