Hummer HX cleans up its act

Green Car Centre

Biodiesel Cars & Hybrid Cars

Hummer HX cleans up its act

Hummer proudly showed off its HX concept at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit as the next possible step in its product line-up. The compact two-door HX would take on the likes of the Jeep Wrangler, but the more serious message with the HX is its bio-ethanol-fuelled 3.6-litre V6 engine that is set to be used in every Hummer model.

The new V6 engine uses E85 bio-ethanol, which is a cleaner fuel than petrol and can be mixed in the same tank as petrol. Running solely on bio-ethanol, the 3.6 V6 produces 304bhp and 273lb.ft of low-down shove that makes it an ideal engine for Hummer's range of SUVs.

The HX also shows that Hummer is keen to expand its sales with a more affordable model that is better suited to European roads. The HX is shorter and narrower than an H3, but has better on- and off-road ability, says Hummer.

Designed by three young designers at Hummer, the HX has removable roof and side panels to turn it from hard-top into convertible very quickly. The rear seats can also be removed to turn the car into a pick-up, while the wheelarches can also be detached to give better wheel movement when driving off-road.

Hummer has not said if the HX will ever go into production, but insiders say there is a lot of enthusiasm for the HX to become the next addition to the model range.

Alisdair Suttie