Trying to portray a ‘built to do a job’ truck to an environmentally big truck, HUMMER is doing everything it can to get rid of its gas-guzzling image. According to a HUMMER spokesman, HUMMER’s first production E85 models will be the 2009 H2 pickup and H2 SUT. The announcement was made during the opening of the Dallas area dealership’s E85 station. HUMMER said that it is committed to offering biofuel capability on all its vehicles by 2010.

Spending more than $500,000, Classic Chevrolet-HUMMER dealership in Grapevine, Texas, installed nine pumps dedicated to E85, E10 and biodiesel.

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The new 2009 Nissan Murano, while we think it looks very awkward, was the best performer in new crash tests for midsize SUVs according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The HUMMER H3 performed the worst.

IIHS said that the new Murano was the only SUV among nine tested to get the highest front, side and rear crash test ratings. The 2009 Nissan Murano also received praise for its new electronic stability control which now comes as standard.

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In the latest set of ratings complied by J.D. Power and Associates, Toyota, Lexus Hyundai, Honda and HUMMER are the industry’s strongest brands in terms of loyalty and conquest.  The rates, which measure 2007 data, suggest that Ford, Pontiac and Buick are in a decline

Loyalty and conquest rates have long been considered benchmark measurements since the J.D. Power and Associates folks mix the number of customers leaving the brand and the numbers of new ones coming in.

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GM wants consumers to start looking at Hummers as trucks and SUVs that are built to do a job, instead of gas-guzzling SUVs made for the rich and hated by environmentalists everywhere. Ever since GM rolled out the Hummer H2, owners have complained of getting mean looks from their peers and finding their giant vehicles keyed in parking lots.

A survey conducted by J.D. Power and Associates last year said SUV buyers are avoiding the Hummer brand more and more mostly because they believe they are gas-guzzling vehicles.

“Hummer has an image of being the big, ponderous vehicles,” says Jon Osborn, research director at J.D. Power. “Really, it gets about the same or as good gas mileage as several others. … The name Hummer connotes a much more gas-guzzling vehicle than really is on the road today.”

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Based on the architecture of the HUMMER H3, HUMMER today revealed the H3T, a five-passenger crew cab with a separate five-foot-long bed. Creating its own market, the HUMMER H3T is bigger than midsize pickup but smaller than a full-size truck.

The HUMMER H3T comes standard with a 3.7 liter inline 5-cylinder engine that produces 242 horsepower and 242 lb-ft of torque. There is also a 5.3 liter V8 rated at 300 horsepower and 320 lb-ft of torque available as an option.

Production is scheduled to begin in the third quarter of 2008 with deliveries to begin in early 2009.

Click through for the press release and images.

2009 HUMMER H3T Gallery:

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HUMMER today showed a concept version of its Wrangler competitor at the 2008 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The HUMMER HX Concept, which is smaller than the H3, measures just 81 inches (2,057 mm) wide with a wheelbase of 103-inches (2,616-mm).

The HX Concept is an open-air, two-door off-road vehicle along with a convertible body via a pair of removable panels. Power comes from an E85 FlexFuel 3.6L SIDI V6 that produces 204 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque. The engine is coupled with a six-speed automatic transmission which is integrated to a 4WD system to offer exceptional low-speed traction.

Click through for the press release and live images from the Detroit Auto Show.

HUMMER HX Concept Gallery:

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The embargo was broken today on HUMMER’s upcoming Wrangler competitor which will make its official debut at the 2008 North American International Auto Show in Detroit next week. To be shown in concept form at the auto show, the HUMMER HX Concept is more compact than the H3.

Measuring just 81 inches (2,057 mm) wide with a wheelbase of 103-inches (2,616-mm), the HUMMER HX Concept is an open-air, two-door off-road vehicle along with a convertible body via a pair of removable panels. Power comes from an E85 FlexFuel 3.6L SIDI V6 engine that is coupled with a six-speed automatic transmission. The transmission mated with a 4WD system to offer exceptional low-speed traction.

Click through for more images and the press release.

HUMMER HX Concept Gallery:

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Along with the HUMMER HX concept, GM announced today that it will be taking the stage with the Opel Corsa OCS, the HUMMER H3R Concept and Maroon 5. Maroon 5 will join Grammy Award winner Mary J. Blige and DJ Samantha Ronson as GM Style performers.

The Hummer H3R Concept will pay a tribute SUV racing heritage and will be powered by a 7.0 liter V8 engine producing 505 horsepower from the Corvette Z06.

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GM today released the first images of the HUMMER HX Concept that will make its debut at the 2008 North American International Show in Detroit. The concepts are the work of three new GM designers - David Rojas, Min Young Kang and Robert Jablonski.

All three fresh out of the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, Mich., the designers were given the task to produce a “fun, nimble and innovative HUMMER concept.

The E-85 FlexFuel capable HUMMER HX concept offers an open-air driving experience via a pair of removable panels. The concept also features removable doors and fender flairs.

Click through for the press release and images.

HUMMER HX Concept Gallery:

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Sport utility vehicles are getting sportier than ever, while some of the largest among them are going hybrid to save fuel and save face.

Swelling sales of sport utility vehicles show no sign of abating and their continued popularity seems to clash with widespread concerns over fuel prices and the environment. But manufacturers have responded to the changing times with new sportier and “greener” SUVs to ensure their longevity.

Click through for the list of the Top 19 Hottest SUVs of 2008.

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Ironically, some of the most luxurious and expensive SUVs are the best equipped for dirty off-road duty — not that most drivers will ever test these capabilities.

Check out ForbesAutos Top 10 Off-Road Luxury SUVs.

Click through for the list, slideshow and images.

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HUMMER has a huge image problem. While HUMMERs were once known as an all-American military SUV built by American Motors General, the latest models built by GM for the wealthy American are now seen as gas guzzling, road hogging and oversized machines. With the current shift of US buyers to more fuel-efficient vehicles and the Congress boosting the average fuel economy level, HUMMER has even a bigger problem.

GM is now thinking green for HUMMER, hoping that it can improve the company’s image without hurting its core attributes of off-road performance and aggressive styling.

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According to CNNMoney.com it seems no matter how high gas prices are, the Cadillac Escalade, Lincoln Navigator and the Chrysler Aspen still have their fans. Who cares if the Escalade and Navigator get only 15 mpg of combined fuel economy or if the Aspen only gets 16 mpg. Actually we’re going to go ahead and add the HUMMER H2 to CNN’s list, which has a fuel economy of 17 mpg combined. The point is, these big and bad American SUVs are still selling no matter how fuel-inefficient they are or how high the gas prices are.

Us Americans care little about the environment, and supposedly our wallets as well, and would rather not drive around in little hatchbacks than our big status symbol SUVs.

2007 Lincoln Navigator Gallery:

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