HUMMER might be up for sale, but GM is carrying on regardless here in South Africa. Proof of this comes in the form of a new five-year/120 000km warranty on all GM products — and the launch of the V8 HUMMER.

Yip a V8 HUMMER H3 has been unleashed — for muscle huggers there is now an engine that matches the looks of this military-inspired monster. With military vehicles having been tested the Gerotek facility, this proved the ultimate backdrop for the H3 launch.

From the outside you'll be pressed to tell the difference between an original H3, an eagle eye will spot a V8 badge on the back and some different alloys. Under the hood is where the real change is with the 3.7-litre petrol lump being replaced by 5.3-litre V8.

New numbers read 224kW at 5200rpm and 434Nm at 4000rpm, which was enough to trundle up the daunting 30º incline without a fuss. The torque and how the power is put to the earth are the HUMMER trump cards.

Serious travel means that the wheels stay in close contact with the earth over axle twisters. If the going gets tough the electronics do a job of eliminating wheel spin while for the heavies who take the Adventure package, a front and rear diff lock do the job. A new oil pan is designed to ensure constant oil pressure when driving on steep grades.

Ignore the News Cafe curb-crawling image you think a HUMMER H3 has because steep climbs, ditches and the like are what this vehicle was really designed for. Short overhangs make approach and departure angles brilliant and although not class leading, the ground clearance will make it over most obstacles a weekend off-road retreat can throw at.

It tows better than the old version too with a maximum capacity of 2448kg — that is a whopping 861kg more than before. Some stiffer antiroll bars and shock absorber valve tweaks has made the ride a lot less wallowing and combine with an improved steering system to make on-road feeling a bit more inspiring. Despite no reach adjustment we soon felt at home belting around the high-speed oval at the 158km/h limit.

Acceleration comes in at a claimed zero to 100km/h time of 8.2 seconds while consumption should see a combined figure of 14.5 litres per 100km. A slow but meaningfully smooth Hydra-Matic 4L60-E four-speed auto box is standard across the board.

The V8 will be available in Adventure and Luxury spec levels. Adventure means low range gearing of 4.03:1 versus the 2.64:1 in the Luxury, electronic selectable full locking front and rear diffs and aggressively tuned shock absorbers. The Luxury is a little less specced in off road equipment but gets more street cred with the likes chrome wheels.

The H3 V8 Luxury edition sells for R531 887 and the V8 Adventure for R541 886. If you want a 3.7 five-cylinder version you can still order a Luxury for R495 250.

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