GMC Hummer EV SUV 2024 Review

The 2024 GMC Hummer EV SUV is the latest all-electric vehicle aimed at being as capable off-road as it is efficient on the street. It follows the Hummer EV truck, which will debut as a 2022 model. While the Hummer EV twins might look a lot like those old gas-guzzling models — in particular the long-discontinued Hummer H3 and its H3T pickup variant — the new incarnations are far different animals.

Since the new Hummer runs on electricity rather than gasoline or diesel, it uses electric motors at the front and rear axles that are powered by a large battery pack. Depending on the trim, the new Hummer will have either two or three electric motors, the latter setup deploying two at the rear and one in the front.

Dual-motor Hummer EV2 and EV2X models will make 625 horsepower, while the three-motor EV3X and Edition 1 versions produce 830 horsepower. While that's less than the 1,000 horsepower GMC quoted for the truck, that's more than double the power available from the V8 engine from the old Hummer H2. Torque specs are a little more difficult to discern given how that figure is measured with electric vehicles, but rest assured that no version of the Hummer EV will lack for it. Don't be fooled by GMC's quoted 11,500 lb-ft of torque; that measurement doesn't equate to a typical torque figure. Look for three-motor Hummers to cover 0-60 mph in around 3.5 seconds, or about half a second slower than the truck.

The difference in horsepower and acceleration between the truck and SUV is down to battery size. Since the SUV makes do without a bed, it rides on a wheelbase nearly 9 inches shorter than the truck's. Because the battery is mounted between the wheels, the reduced space necessitated a smaller battery pack. Don't worry, rock crawlers — GMC engineers have designed built-in protection underneath the vehicle to shield the battery from harm.

The interior of the Hummer EV SUV mirrors that of its truck counterpart, and we consider that a good thing. The design is a departure from most other General Motors products, including other GMC trucks and SUVs. It's clean and minimal, with straight lines and hard edges that translate to a wide, commanding look, while bronze and white accents give the dark theme a bit of color.

The most prominent parts of the interior are the two bright displays — a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel and a horizontal 13.4-inch touchscreen in the center of the dash. Beneath the center screen are two rows of physical buttons, a plus in our eyes since we much prefer the tactile feel of a button while you're driving as opposed to a featureless touchscreen.

The cabin feels fairly open and spacious inside, helped even further by the Hummer's removable roof panels that GMC calls Sky Panels. Imagine a targa for the first row and a T-top for the second, and you get the general idea. The same reinforcements that help protect the battery provide enough strength and support to keep the Hummer rigid, even with the top off.

The Hummer EV is far more than just tough looks and copious amounts of power. GMC has built in a lot of features and tech to help the Hummer both on and off-road. All Hummer EVs (including the truck) come with GM's Super Cruise driver aid system, first seen on high-end Cadillacs. The system allows for hands-free driving on more than 200,000 miles of enabled roadways. The latest iteration of Super Cruise will perform automatic lane changes when the situation calls for it.

But the real trick stuff is meant for when the roads get rough. The Hummer EV SUV has 10.2 inches of ground clearance, but if you use Extract mode, the air suspension lifts it even farther, providing 16 inches of clearance. Approach, departure and breakover angles are all increased with Extract mode too. Opt for the Extreme Off-Road Pack, and you'll get underbody cameras in the front and rear so you can see any obstacles that might pop up and ruin your day. The SUV's shorter wheelbase might mean it loses battery capacity compared to the truck, but it makes the Hummer EV SUV far more nimble than its sibling.

There's also the impressive Crab Walk mode, which uses the Hummer's four-wheel steering to drive diagonally at a crawl. And that 3.5-second zero-to-60 time? To nail that number, you need to use the Hummer's "Watts to Freedom" setting. It's basically a fancy mode that lowers the air suspension and enables launch control. It also plays a little jingle.

The new Hummer has some impressive specs on paper. In its normal ride height, the Hummer has an approach and departure angle of 41.4 and 40.0 degrees, respectively. Extract mode increases those figures to 49.6 degrees of approach and 45.6 degrees of departure (49.0 without the spare tire). The 23.8-degree breakover angle increases to 34.4 degrees in Extract mode; both figures are up on the truck. If you're really in a tough spot, the Hummer has a max wading depth of 26 inches, increased to 32 inches with the suspension raised.

If you pop the hood, there's a small front trunk with 9.0 cubic feet of storage where you might expect an engine to go. The whole nose lifts up, so you won't have to hoist items over the entire grille just to use the trunk. If you need more space, the rear cargo area opens up to 81.8 cubic feet of storage with the seats folded flat. There are also small bins underneath the cargo floor and a pass-through underneath the center console large enough for a purse or small bag.

GMC says the Hummer EV SUV should have an all-electric range between from about 250 to 300 miles, depending on trim. All but the base EV2 is equipped with an 800-volt architecture that allows the Hummer EV to fully utilize the most powerful DC fast chargers available. We don't have charge times for the SUV, but GMC stated the similarly specced truck can get 100 miles of range in about 10 minutes using the most ideal fast-charging stations.

The electric SUV market hasn't taken off just yet, but the GMC Hummer EV SUV will have plenty of competition by the time it goes on sale in early 2023. For our money, it looks to be one of the most off-road-capable vehicles in the class, and might be worth the wait for eco-conscious outdoor adventurers.