Dubai, United Arab Emirates - It is hard to ignore a HUMMER, with its wide proportions and tough, off-road appearance. While the H3 encompasses the entire DNA of the brand, which makes it “unmistakably HUMMER” as they say in the trade, the shape and the can-do look of the design belie its on-road ease of driving.

But the big sell of the H3 is its prowess away from the Tarmac. HUMMERs have always been built to explore rugged terrain, in areas where road planning does not apply.

In the H3’s natural environment is used to, a long way away from traffic lights, hard shoulders and butterfly intersections, this midsize SUV takes all obstacles in its stride.

There are some great drives to be taken in the wilds of the Gulf, and the HUMMER H3 approaches them with relish. The key to off-road driving is to maintain a steady combination of power with traction, and a mixture of the HUMMER’s engine, the imperious wheels and the unsurpassed nature of the transmission system make things easy for newcomers to off-roading.

Meanwhile, for those who have already experienced off-road adventures, the H3 adds to the fun. It allows drivers to search out those truly breathtaking areas of the desert in the knowledge that it is completely capable of taking them on.

Central to the HUMMER ethos is the ability to navigate over obstructions, rather than going around them. With a high ground clearance, short overhangs at the front and back of the vehicle and massive 33-inch tyres, the H3 is built to climb.

Serious off-road performance is aided by the maximum approach angle of 40 degrees and maximum departure angle of 37 degrees. These angles permit the H3 to drive into a hole and back out again, without getting hung up either at the front or rear.

Part of the fun of taking a car off the beaten track revolves around finding out exactly what it can do, and that is why the H3 satisfies so well. In winter, it is possible to visit the wadis of this region and test out the HUMMER’s ability to seemingly sail through these water obstacles.

The H3 can ford water to a depth of 407 mm at 32 km/h; for even more taxing passages, however, it can navigate through streams of over 600 mm at crawling pace without breaking its stride.

A combination of a 3.7-litre, five-cylinder engine and an electronically controlled four-wheel drive system make the H3 the leader in off-road motoring. The engine is designed to give a smooth release of power in all situations, and it mixes this with excellent economy to benefit both the environment and the owner’s pocket.

The exterior design, meanwhile, is pure HUMMER, and the latest edition brings with it considerable changes for 2008. With flat, chiseled surfaces, upright windows and a trademark seven-slot louvered grille H3 continues to stand out.

And the interior, while getting an update, retains the true HUMMER tradition of rugged comfort with all the trimmings. The cabin is a great place to be, allowing all occupants to survey their surroundings from its high-up vantage point, and there is plenty of room to go with the whole host of features inside.

So many features make the HUMMER H3 best in class, both in the rough and back on the black. In town, one of the biggest reasons why it drives so well in traffic is its maneuverability. With a turning circle comparable to that of a family sedan, it is easy to park the H3 in tight spaces, or to negotiate tough rush-hour traffic.

And driving on busy roads isn’t thirsty work for the HUMMER. Projected fuel consumption figures show, that at around 14 litres per 100 kilometres, on a combined city / highway driving cycle, this is a highly efficient vehicle.

The HUMMER family is as rugged as it gets, while the H3 is certainly one of the most versatile vehicles available, with its unparalleled, best-of-class off-road ability and ease of use in traffic. The unique shape of the H3, and the way it has been designed to go anywhere, add up to produce a truly unmistakable vehicle.

Courtesy: HUMMER, General Motors, Middle East

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Posted by Jigar Gondalia on 8 July, 2008 3:21:13 PM IST #