HUMMER- HX

GM’s rough-and-tumble Hummer segment has gone totally Tonka with the HX Concept it will show off in Detroit next week. This offroader embraces the brand’s rugged sensibilities while appeasing trail preservationists with an E85-burning, FlexFuel-ready, 304-hp, 3.6 liter V6. It’s a vehicle we think may eventually become Hummer’s smaller, lighter, more fuel-efficient—and fun—competition for the Jeep Wrangler. We hear the production model may be called H4. The HX’s faceted but muscular bodywork, flat glass surfaces, and squat, chopped roofline lend it a menacing stance that makes it look like it’s ready for just about anything—maybe even some Halo multiplayer. The concept’s exterior is more of an exoskeleton than a body, with modular panels that can be reconfigured as an SUT, a slant-back or a traditional wagon. Its matte olive paint scheme suggests militaristic brawn, while removable doors and fender flares show that Hummer knows what die-hard four-wheel fanatics look for in their machines. High-end details include billet aluminum suspension components and HID headlamps that operate like autofocus SLR lenses. An aeronautically inspired interior seats four and features seats trimmed in weather resistant neoprene mounted to the body via aircraft-style tracks. A “clipped circle” design theme can be seen throughout the interior with the gauge cluster, instruments panel vents and steering wheel. That theme continues outside with the folding shovel, flashlight and first aid kit. To prove that the HX Concept isn’t just an auto show queen, Fox provided custom-made, heavy-duty shocks with piggyback reservoirs. The beefy suspension incorporates an electronically disconnecting stabilizer bar for maximum articulation, and a full-time four-wheel-drive system including fully lockable front and rear axles. Aggressive, 35-in.-tall tires fill the massive wheel wells, and a winch, front skid plate and underbody armor kit drive home the not-so-subtle point that the HX has been designed to tackle off-road situations ranging from the tame to insane. We hope a version of the HX does indeed reach production as an H4—but please, don’t leave off all the hardcore 4WD hardware. —Basem Wasef