SHREVEPORT, Louisiana — General Motors has confirmed that its all-new Hummer H3T pickup will begin production in the third quarter of 2008. The schedule was announced as part of a ceremony here at GM's Shreveport truck assembly plant, which is getting a $73 million investment to prepare it for the new model.
The H3T was first seen in concept form more than three years ago at the 2004 Los Angeles Auto Show. Troy Clarke, president of GM North America, describes it as "the brand's first true pickup" — this despite the fact that Hummer already sells the larger H2 SUT, which has a small pickup bed behind the cabin.
The four-door H3T will share its midsize chassis, originally engineered in Japan by Isuzu, with the Chevrolet Colorado and the GMC Canyon. GM describes the H3T as "larger than a midsize truck, smaller than a full-size" and says it will feature a broad range of personalization accessories.
Hummer executives also hope the H3T will draw new customers to the brand, which has seen its sales plunge 20 percent in the first nine months of 2007. The standard H3 utility vehicle remains Hummer's lowest-priced and best-selling model, with sales of just over 30,000 units through September.
What this means to you: As it phases in the H3T, GM is contemplating dropping the slow-selling Colorado and Canyon after 2009.
The H3T was first seen in concept form more than three years ago at the 2004 Los Angeles Auto Show. Troy Clarke, president of GM North America, describes it as "the brand's first true pickup" — this despite the fact that Hummer already sells the larger H2 SUT, which has a small pickup bed behind the cabin.
The four-door H3T will share its midsize chassis, originally engineered in Japan by Isuzu, with the Chevrolet Colorado and the GMC Canyon. GM describes the H3T as "larger than a midsize truck, smaller than a full-size" and says it will feature a broad range of personalization accessories.
Hummer executives also hope the H3T will draw new customers to the brand, which has seen its sales plunge 20 percent in the first nine months of 2007. The standard H3 utility vehicle remains Hummer's lowest-priced and best-selling model, with sales of just over 30,000 units through September.
What this means to you: As it phases in the H3T, GM is contemplating dropping the slow-selling Colorado and Canyon after 2009.
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