To help reel it in, electronic stability control is standard.īraking is an area we feel needs improving on the H3 Alpha. The positive side is there’s also good responsiveness to driver inputs. Shocks have been re-valved to ensure better ride quality than the full-size H2.īut there is still quite a bit of top-heaviness and body roll.
Handling benefits from a modified chassis and a suspension that utilizes higher rate front torsion bars. Power was good off the line, with an adequate build down the stretch. There it rumbled from 0 to 60 in a quite respectable 8.3 seconds - that’s two seconds faster than the 5-cylinder H3 - and finished the quarter-mile run in 16.3 seconds at 87 miles-per-hour. Once we finished up in the wild, we took our V8 to the track. A unique oil pan ensures constant pressure on steep grades, and the front differential case is made of strong cast iron.Ĭombine those upgrades with 9.1 inches of ground clearance, high approach and departure angles, and the tight turning diameter of a compact car, and this SUV is able to crawl over and around amazing obstacles, as well as handle streams up to 24 inches deep. Optional off-road rubber and rear locker are recommended for serious off-roading.Ī wide range of enhancements went into making the H3 Alpha even more trail-tough than the already impressive original H3. The H3 Alpha’s pushrod pairs with a four-speed automatic and feeds a full-time, two-speed, four-wheel drive system with brake traction control, a 4.10 rear differential, and 32-inch tires.
In its stead is a GM 5.3-liter small block V8 with 295 horsepower and 317 pound-feet of torque, with a towing capacity that jumps to 6,000 pounds - a 33% improvement. Gone is the original mid-size H3’s wimpy inline5. Here that means more brute force from under the hood. Significantly downsized from the now discontinued, military-based H1 Alpha, the mid-size H3 is only the second Hummer to be granted the performance “Alpha” designation. Case in point, Hummer’s newest offering, the 2008 H3 Alpha. But status aside, civilian Hummers are becoming more capable of extremes than ever. After all, these squared-jaw suburban tanks are as about as exotic as SUVs get. To diehard fans, Hummers are regarded as status symbols. It may still be the smallest Hummer in size, but it’s big on everything else. Well now that image gets a performance boost with the new H3 Alpha. Even with unsteady, and it seems ever higher gas prices, the Hummer brand has sustained its rock solid following.Ī big reason is that Hummer vehicles deliver an unmatched combination of substance and style.
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