The first all-electric Hummer, a behemoth whose previous models have been a byword for over-the-top automotive power, has officially crashed down on Middle East soil.
More than four years ago, manufacturer GMC first announced the vehicle would make a return to world markets after initially shelving it way back in 2010. A few imports have been seen on the roads already, but this is the first time the car has been available to customers in UAE and Kuwait showrooms.
The new Hummer is a car that’s been getting a lot of attention since its return was announced, largely because the statistics associated with it are jaw-dropping by any standard.
The most obvious figure to point out, bearing in mind that the Hummer is hardly a slimline affair, is its 0-100kph time of between 3 and 3.5 seconds, depending on which spec you go for.
You get 1,000 horsepower and more than 15,000Nm of torque from its trio of motors, and, on a full charge, this car has a range of about 570km. That’s enough to get you from Dubai to Abu Dhabi in both directions, twice.
GMC is keen to point out that this is a car for both urban and motorway use, as well as extreme off-roading. There are cameras a-plenty in the Hummer, so drivers can go over blind peaks and still have an idea what they are dropping the car into.
Entertainingly, it will also crab-walk, should moving forward in a straight line not be an option. And, if you really want to experience the great outdoors and get the wind flowing round your head, the roof panels are removable.
Inside, GMC has avoided anything basic and gone for what it calls an ultra-modern “lunar horizon” interior. There is a 12.3-inch driver information display, as well as a 13.4-inch colour touchscreen.
The new Hummer comes in two distinct versions, which are SUV and pickup.
The car first appeared as a civilian vehicle after the AM General brand saw a gap in the market and began selling a civilian version of the US military’s M998 Humvee in the early 1990s.
GMC later bought the rights and sold respectable numbers until the company suffered financial problems nearly two decades later and had to shelve the model. So much for the past, though.
The starting price for a new electric Hummer in the Emirates is Dh590,000 for the SUV, with the pickup a little pricier at Dh600,000.
