GMC Hummer SUV Impresses Skeptical Detroit Free Press Editor

Hummers have always been a polarizing love-them or hate-them proposition. The first time around, when they represented gas-guzzling at its most self-indulgent and wasteful, the hate-them side essentially won. But this second time around, Hummers don’t guzzle so much as a drop of fossil fuels, at least not themselves, stripping away the most biting criticism. What remains is the good part—that being that they are big and spacious, very adept off-road, and still pretty good at capturing attention. They have also become much smarter and more refined. It was all enough to turn around this Detroit Free Press automotive reviewer. Ewing Buick-GMC recounts his experience.  

Mark Phelan states that he has driven every Hummer ever offered. While he recognized that they usually fulfilled their mission, that mission wasn’t for him. “I’ve never missed one when it left.”  

He is quick to acknowledge that things have changed with the Hummer EV SUV. To start, the proportions seem more reasonable. Though every bit as wide as the GMC Hummer EV Pickup, it is “a whopping 20 inches shorter.” That 196.8-inch length puts it more in line with other full-size SUVs like the BMW X7 and Rivian R1S. It should be added, however, that those are three-row vehicles, while the Hummer EV is strictly a five-seater.  

The four-wheel steering mitigates its length and width, which he found very useful when maneuvering in parking lots and suburban streets. In contrast to the CrabWalk feature, which he found to be little more than a party trick, he found the four-wheel steering to be something you use daily. No word on whether he tried to use it for parallel parking. 

Once outside the parking lot, he found the Hummer to be comfortable and relaxed in contrast to the lumbering feel of the first round of gas-powered models. Having 830 horsepower on tap also kept the vehicle’s weight from making itself apparent when acceleration was called upon. 

He had a few nits to pick, starting with the impression that the quality of interior materials could be higher for the price, and he had trouble with the power side-hinged tailgate. He hopes Hummer will branch out to smaller vehicles, which they did the first time around. And he adds that whatever Hummer produces next, he looks forward to driving it. “I need to judge Hummers by the brand’s present, not its past.” 

If you are curious about what an off-road capable EV SUV can do for you, shed any past perceptions and test drive the new Hummer EV SUV for yourself at Ewing Buick-GMC. We think you, too, will be pleasantly surprised.