2024 Hummer EV SUV: A trail beast unlike any other

The GMC Hummer EV SUV has been on sale in the U.S. for more than a year but reviews have been limited to on-road tests. Until now.

GMC recently hosted journalists in Moab, Utah, to evaluate the Hummer EV SUV's off-road chops.

It was a bit of a homecoming for the hulking SUV: GMC engineers conducted real-world testing and validation of the SUV in Moab before it went on sale.

An available three-motor Ultium Drive system produces up to 830 hp and up to 11,500 pound-feet of torque — enough to rip from 0 to 60-mph in about 3.5 seconds with available Watts To Freedom, based on GM estimates.

The drive modes have also been fine-tuned.

With the Hummer EV's battery cells packaged below the floor, the low mass and gravity provide stability for such a large and wide vehicle that weighs in at 8,660 pounds.

General Motors' Ultium drive system can provide power to a single wheel, allowing the Hummer to keep moving in some of the most challenging off-road conditions and terrain. It features 13 inches of suspension travel, can climb 60 percent grades going forward and in reverse, scale 18-inch verticals and ford more than 2 feet of water, GMC says,

In Utah, journalists tested the Hummer EV SUV with an available extreme off-road package that features 18-inch wheels and 35-inch outside diameter Goodyear Wrangler Territory MT tires; underbody armor and rock sliders; underbody cameras; front eLocker and rear virtual lockers; and heavy-duty ball-spline half shafts.

We've collected some reviews.

"This isn't an SUV yearning to be pushed on a backroad, but it handled itself well on a curvy canyon drive along the Colorado River. GMC has managed to mask the truck's heft well, with one trick being light steering effort. A four-corner adaptive air suspension setup keeps the ride compliant on the street, though not quite on the level of a true luxury cruiser. There's only so much that can be done to overcome that weight at all four corners.

The Hummer's signature removable roof panels ensure that wind noise is present at speed, but the noise level remains quieter than a traditional soft top. The tall 35-inch tires hum along at highway pace, but the standard all-terrains are notably quieter than the optional mud-terrains. General Motors' Super Cruise semi-autonomous system works flawlessly in the Hummer EV, tackling lane changes and traffic shifts without a hiccup. Despite all of the tech, the Hummer is not as comfortable on the street as a comparable Yukon Denali, but it's clear that luxury wasn't the brand's main priority with this product. High profile presence is the game here; be prepared to attract attention, not all of which will be positive."

— Lucas Bell, Road & Track

"The adaptive air suspension and its Sachs ZF dampers have a mighty job, restraining four tons while several hundred pounds of wheel and tire jiggle across the dirt. We found the setup a touch too firm for our liking through easy and moderate geography; stiffness conveyed right up through the seat on the open trail, bumpy landings when doing mid-single-digit speeds over minor rocky stretches. Part of that might have been due to tire pressures. The door jamb sticker advises 45 psi. We spent the day between 38 and 41 psi. Airing down to around 31 or 32 would have provided a lot more cushion. Nevertheless, with four inches of available lift between Raised and Extract Modes, we wish Hummer allotted a couple more inches of give. The Hummer SUV felt appropriately damped everywhere else, especially in technical sections like descending rock staircases where one expects various thumps.

Apparently, the suspension was once firmer. GMC told us that during prototype testing, engineers brought the SUV to Moab with front and rear anti-roll bars. It was quickly clear that the rear was too stiff, so engineers kept the front anti-roll bar and jettisoned the rear, working with Sachs ZF to reprogram the suspension. The change came late enough in prototype testing that our production unit still featured tabs on the rear lower control arms the bar would have bolted to.

The Hummer's four-wheel steering is one of those modern blessings that makes old folks go, "You don't know how good you have it! Back in my day …" Overshoot the entry into a tight turn? Crank the wheel, let the back end come around, carry on. Nothing more to it. "Three-point turn" is a foul, foreign language to the Hummer EV. The only potential drawback is when a Hummer EV owner has to ride with someone in a regular rig, and constantly reminds the driver, "My Hummer could have done that in one go." Rear steering is too much of a good thing at times, though, such as at low speeds off the trail. Sometimes you want the back following the front instead of wagging with minor tugs of the steering wheel."

— Jonathon Ramsey, Autoblog

"Refinement of the regenerative braking is something engineers have been working on since the debut of the 2022 Hummer EV pickup. Originally, it was too abrupt. Smoothing it out has been an area of focus since launch, and the progress is impressive. The 2024 SUV has noticeably improved low-speed drivability.

With its shorter length, approach angle of 49.6 degrees, a 34.4-degree breakover angle and 49-degree departure angle with the spare tire removed, the Hummer is an impressive off-roader. Despite its size, it never gets hung up or scraped its back end in our use.

And we must talk about the four-wheel steering, which gives the hulking SUV a wieldy 35.4-foot turning radius. There is a lightness and responsiveness that comes as a surprise in a vehicle that is 196.8 inches long and 86.5 inches wide, inching along trails often not much wider. Let's just say the shiny new vehicles were well pinstriped by day's end. But even with some tight turns around trees or sharp rocks, we didn't need to try for a three- or five-point turn. A Colorado scouting the trail ahead could not say the same.

The SUV normally steers at a ratio of 0.3:1 of front angle, but that increases to 0.6:1 in Off-Road mode and jumps to 1.2:1 in Terrain mode, so the rear axle is steering faster than the front for maneuverability. At highway speeds, the rear tires switch to turning in tandem with the front wheels to enhance stability.

You can go into the drive modes to turn rear steering off, but once you've tried it, you'll probably want to keep it on. And it's here that you hold down the button for five seconds to engage CrabWalk, the horizontal-ish crawling trick that could in theory get you out of a sticky situation that traditional steering might not work for. CrabWalk puts the front wheels at the same angle as the rear, up to 10 degrees of motion."

— Alisa Priddle, Motor Trend

"Inside, the SUV is nearly identical to the pickup. The cabin is as wide as you'd expect of a Hummer, and the floor is flat. Hard plastics on the lower part of the instrument panel are disappointing in a vehicle this expensive, but there's a 12.3-inch digital gauge display in front of the driver and a central 13.4-inch touchscreen that either the driver or passenger can use. GMC wisely kept some physical switchgear for climate-control functions and still clearly builds interiors with gloved hands in mind. Unlike in the pickup, the large center screen doesn't reflect annoyingly in the back glass. Rear-seat space is excellent. The cargo area is big enough for five occupants' luggage, but the high floor means loading heavy bags requires a heave-ho.

The Hummer EV SUV defies a lot of expectations. It accelerates like a sports car, handles like it's thousands of pounds lighter, and charms with the improbability of it all. There's not much on-pavement grip, but it's capable off-road, and you'll never have to worry about sucking water into the intake. There's a lot of weight here, but there's also a lot of everything. Born of attitude and consequently full of attitude, the Hummer EV SUV left us thoroughly entertained."

— Tony Quiroga, Car and Driver

"While the Hummer performed exceptionally in Moab for an almost 9,000-pound truck, I never forgot how massive it was. On the few sections of trail that weren't slickrock, I watched the first and sixth trucks in our group deal with vastly different conditions, as the massive weight of the Hummer was too much for soft dirt, which fell away from the trail with every subsequent truck. I pinstriped the Afterburner Tintcoat on every patch of sagebrush in southern Utah, because at 86.7 inches — almost half a foot wider than a Hummer H2 — it was simply too wide to fit most trails. My line choices were constrained to wherever I could physically fit the truck, which forced me into trickier maneuvers than I might need in a reasonably sized vehicle.

Despite this, its off-road abilities are currently unmatched in its competitive set, although the minute the electrified Mercedes G-Wagen hits the market, that title will become much harder to defend. Even if it gets surpassed by the Benz, who cares? I maintain that attempting to rationally analyze the Hummer defeats its entire purpose. Get it in orange. Pop off the T-tops. Crank up Mötley Crüe. The Hummer is here to party, and it'll get to the party whether it's in Miami or Moab."

— Victoria Scott, motor1.com

"Driving modes are key to making this all-wheel-drive electric SUV work, especially off-road. These modes have been refined for 2024 model year vehicles, with some updates being applied through over-the-air-updates to older models.

For higher-speed off-road driving, you'll want to put the vehicle in Off-Road drive mode. For more technical and slower terrain, you'll want to select Terrain mode. It gives you the most aggressive rear steering, turns on an aggressive version of one-pedal drive mode, and is calibrated to limit wheel spin.

For even more aggressive one-pedal braking in Terrain mode also select 'L' instead of 'D.' You basically have to drive the vehicle with your big toe in this mode, as the pressure control is very needed right at the top of the accelerator pedal stroke.

Once you get used to it, you can have the same amount of control as you would by an experienced left foot driver when tackling steep, technical off-road terrain. And, at any time, you can just left-foot brake the Hummer EV SUV. I prefer this technique, as it's what I'm most comfortable with, through over a decade of experience.

Selectable lockers at both ends are also really helpful in this long wheelbase and heavy rig. The rear virtual locker can always be on as well, when off-road. It can work really well, as it's basically an auto locker when used in this way and doesn't have many downsides when slow-speed driving."

— Byron Dorr, Gear Junkie