Yahoo Autos 2024 GMC Hummer EV SUV First Drive Review: Still impressive, even out of its element
SAN FRANCISCO – Our first experience with the GMC Hummer EV in any form was spent in an environment clearly ideal for such a vehicle. That first drive of the production-ready truck was in Arizona, a place with large, open freeways and rocky, desert terrain. Notably, they were areas that could showcase the Hummer's strengths: enormous power and acceleration, a lack of trees or narrow lanes to hinder its size, and sufficiently rocky terrain to demonstrate its remarkable off-road abilities.
So it was particularly strange that the media's first experience with the Hummer EV SUV would involve the tight streets and twisty mountain passes of San Francisco and Napa Valley, locations that certainly would seem to put the Hummer on the back tire. In some ways they certainly did, but at the same time, they revealed the Hummer is surprisingly capable out of its element, and maybe even a good fit for the area.
The start of our driving time involved leaving downtown San Francisco and heading up Highway 29 to Napa where GM had set up a number of demonstrations like those at the truck first drive, and where our winery hotel was. In the birthplace of Tesla, where Models of all letters and number are ubiquitous, the monster black Hummer definitely stood out. And not just for its sheer size: it is the technological flagship of General Motors, perhaps the most traditional of American car manufacturers. On the other hand, the locale also felt appropriate given that flagship status, from its flashy instrument and infotainment displays, to its acrobatic suspension and steering systems.
This is as good a time as any to go over what makes the Hummer EV SUV different from the truck. Obviously it has a solid roof over a cargo area instead of an open bed. It's also the smaller of the two giants: total length is 20 inches shorter (excluding the spare tire) and the wheelbase is 8 inches shorter. That pays a few dividends in maneuverability both on and off road. The turning circle of the SUV is 1.7 feet smaller, at 35.4 feet, which is almost 3 feet tighter than that of the Chevy Bolt EUV. The breakover angle is also improved by 10.6 degrees (49 at max ride height) and the departure angled by 2.2 degrees (34.4 at max ride height).
Though the bed is gone, the interior cargo space is certainly spacious, with maximum capacity of 81.8 cubic feet with the rear seats folded perfectly flat into the admittedly high load floor. That's a little more than 10 cubic feet better than a Mercedes G-Class with all the seats down, and almost 1 cube better than the three-row Land Rover Defender 130. So, not bad for image-heavy luxury off-roaders, but in the grand scheme of things, you get less room and fewer seats than you might expect from something with its exterior dimensions. A GMC Yukon, for instance, manages 120 cubic-feet with its two rows of rear seats lowered. A Rivian R1S, meanwhile, is smaller outside but also has two rear rows, plus a bit more space at 88 cubic-feet. Like the Rivian, though, the Hummer has an 11-cubic-foot frunk, which in its case, happily swallows all the removable roof panels. Towing capacity comes in at 7,500 pounds.
Despite the shorter wheelbase, the reclining rear seats are still enormously accommodating, if a bit flat and firm. The fronts are also a little flat, but wide and cushy with acres of space in every direction. Flat and wide sums up a lot of the Hummer’s design, too. The dash and screen and windows are all squat. The view out is like one of those ultra-wide computer monitors, with thick bezels all around. The removable roof panels help keep the interior from feeling too much like a cave, though the odd blue tint does not make up for the lack of sun shades. Materials are more rugged than luxurious with tough-feeling vinyls and plastics, but thanks to unique textures and detailing, it all comes across as a goal to make the Hummer special rather than penny pinching. The flashy on-screen graphics help with that, too, and while some of the animations take a smidgen longer than we'd like, everything's pretty easy to grasp and use.
But back to the driving experience, which on San Francisco’s city streets and Northern California’s narrow highways, was unsurprisingly a bit tight. It is more than 7 feet wide afterall. Maneuvering requires frequent and feverish checking of every corner and mirrors to make sure the truck isn't drifting over the centerline on the left or grazing Teslas parallel parked on the right. It's the same problem on those narrow highways, and with lane-splitting motorcycles that barely crest the Hummer’s belt line, constant vigilance is necessary for safe passage. And the slightly vague-on-center steering and squishy off-road tires didn't help. At least four-wheel steering is on hand when trying to escape tight spots or, as we managed, making your way down the ultimate San Francisco challenge: Lombard Street.
In terms of visibility, the front corners are easy to spot, and the Hummer has a wide array of cameras to help in tight spots. Those cameras can be placed as a shortcut in the infotainment system and brought up anytime. At some particularly steep hill intersections in town, the forward camera could be a real boon. Super Cruise is also offered, and we’ve found it always works well, provided you're in an area that has been mapped (mainly interstates and other highways).
Another perk is the impressive ride quality. The air suspension keeps the SUV stable and wobble-free, and the tires’ tall sidewall certainly doesn’t hurt. As mentioned in our truck first drive, there is pronounced wind and tire noise, which is unfortunate, particularly at faster freeway speeds. But considering that traffic California tends to run slower than say, in the middle of Texas, it's less of an issue.
