What Should GM Do With Hummer?

[Saturn69]

I say kill it, it's an albatross. But, the business side says to combine it with SAAB; the H2 has been dropped already hasn't it? If not, kill it and keep the H3/H3T and make a Wrangler sized H4. The days of the H1 and H2 are over and GM needs to play smart. The 'product for every pocketbook' mentality should have been left in the 50's, it's not that kind of market anymore. GM needs to learn to play lean or it's doomed. Get rid of the fat and a monster SUV that weighs so much it doesn't have to post fuel economy numbers in the days of $4 a gallon gas is just outright stupid, shortsighted and dangerous. While the Japanese Big 2 are gaining market share due them selling what the average consumer wants, GM is sitting on the fence.

[samy1691]

Keep in and go in the direction of the H4............I'll be buying the H4!!!!!!!!

[68CoupeDeVille]

Originally Posted by Butz

Keep Hummer as is, just merge its outlets with Cadillac and SAAB.

Yup. Make it a premium only brand with a Lexus-like dealership experience.

[88ls1blazer]

Since it's a niche market anyways, I say move it to diesel power combined w/ 2-mode. This may be enough to get the mileage up there that people still want it. I know Lutz has said the diesel hybrid is VERY costly. Well... So is a hummer in general, it's the perfect brand to do this to.

[Buick61]

It's cheaper to buyout the dealers than it is to revamp a lineup. New vehicles cost BILLIONS to bring to the market...for Hummer, it's just not worth it.

[mikmak]

Originally Posted by Butz

Keep Hummer as is, just merge its outlets with Cadillac and SAAB.

You read my mind. Saab, Hummer and other "extraordinary" examples of GMs talent under a premium banner...like they are doing in Oz.

There needs to be a nice shiny GM badge somewhere, to adorn these standard bearers. That is of course after making them good enough to be standard bearers.

I think they just need to come up with a dealer network name. GM Premium sounds like a beer. Let me think, 5 different characters fighting for the same cause. The marketing would certainly be a challenge...

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[carMuck]

Dump the H2 fast! Introduce the new H4 quickly and slowly phase out the H3 and make a Patriot-type vehicle in its place. Jeep seems to be selling a lot of Wranglers and the Patriot is really starting to take off. No reason why Hummer can't do the same.

[drew630]

Originally Posted by Buick61

It's cheaper to buyout the dealers than it is to revamp a lineup. New vehicles cost BILLIONS to bring to the market...for Hummer, it's just not worth it.

Than try and sell it. Just killing it and paying off dealers doesn't make any sense to me (not that you were implying that).

[geozinger]

Sell it (back to AM General). Let the buyer deal with the retailers. However, continue to handle the distribution and marketing (as others have pointed out, it has been marketed well compared to the other GM brands). Hummer has a good name outside of the US, like in South Africa (where some are produced), Australia and the Middle East. It's just in the US and North America where it has a bad name. And the bad feelings associated with it are only due to the fuel economy issues, not particularly poor product or capability issues.

[The Law]

either keep it and make it like Jeep, or sell it to M&M so GM doesn't have to pay out.

[Exploder]

They should make a significantly smaller and lighter version of the H2 (about Range Rover size, and no the H3 isn't it) while keeping it's capabilities and styling. Also, have more diesel engine options. This would compete with Land Rover.

Then put the HX into production. This would compete with Jeep.

Most importantly: Market the vehicles properly. Only show commercials and demonstrations of their utilitarian usefulness, not how 'cool' they are.

You know, typing that above statement, I have no idea how Range Rovers can get away being celebrity bling-mobiles without even 0.1% of the criticism Hummer gets...

[rsbaker]

I'd says drop the H2. Keep H3 and H3T Then introduce a couple of Light weight vehicle to compete with Jeep Wrangler and Jeep Liberty. Call them H4 & and H4X I think these 4 models. I see no reason Hummer could not give us a Theta based Hybrid and call it H5H.

Please don't sell it GM just needs to revamp it for the changing times.

New line up:

H3 - with diesel option
H3T - with diesel option
H3S - Short wheel base
H4 - GM's Jeep Wrangler
H4X - GM's Jeep Liberty
H5H - Theta based Hybrid

[jwrebholz]

I think they should dump Hummer onto anyone willing to take it while they still can. If gas keeps going up (and it's all but guaranteed to keep going up) it's going to get harder and harder to justify keeping Hummer around when all it is is gas-guzzlers.

[greenrail]

Rigthsize! Reorganize! Revitalize! Prioritize!

Make this brand a competitor to Jeep. Offer realistically sized vehicles into the Market.

Add Diesels and HyBrids to the Mix.

This should be GM's "Trailrated" brand.

Just my 2 cents!

[JVal14]

If you sell Hummer now, you're selling at it's lowest value, which is not the way to treat an investment. It would have been nice if they saw the gas crunch coming and sold a year or two ago when the brand was doing well, but they can't do anything about that now. Unless it's deep in the red every quarter, keep it rather than selling low. Either cut price tags and amenities and make it a pure off-road brand, or update the powertrains for better efficiency and combine it with Cadillac dealerships. Selling them on BPG lots will only remind people of how expensive and inefficient they are.