And about the future: Look for an H2 model with a pickup bed and possibly a version of the GM Midgate between the bed and the passenger compartment, but don't look for it soon. Sources say the H2 SUT won't be out until 2004. Hummer also wants to add a third model to its line, the H3, which would be a smaller version of the original H1. If they can pull that off, Hummer execs, quoted in Automotive News, believe the division could be as profitable for GM as Cadillac.
World Supercrawl Purse Over $50,000Prize money for the UROC World Supercrawl, to be run October 8-12 in Farmington, New Mexico, hit $52,000 as we were going to press. It's probably even higher now. UROC calls the World Supercrawl "the biggest rockcrawling event ever," with a field made up of Top 10 finishers from UROC, CalROCS, EROOC, and other competitive rockcrawling series. Think the "World" part of the title is just hype? Wrong. The event has entries from Italy and Iceland as well as the U.S. and Canada.
If you want to get in on the action, contact UROC at 435/864-3199 or visit UROC4x4.com.
Business Buzz*Dealers are begging Ford for more Super Duty pickups. The maker is working on it by making changes to the Louisville, Kentucky, plant that builds the F-250 and F-350 pickups as well as the Excursion. *Not to be outdone, GM is upping capacity at its Pontiac, Michigan, assembly plant to churn out up to 30 percent more Silverado and Sierra pickups. *Chevrolet says it's making progress on its fuel-cell development program. It has built an S-10 pickup that GM says should get between 35 and 40 mpg and be 80-percent energy efficient, which is twice the efficiency of a standard internal combustion engine. One problem, though: The fuel-cell stack and gasoline reformer needed to power the truck fill most of its bed. *Four of the top five best-selling vehicles in the U.S. in April 2002 (the most recent sales data) were pickups or SUVs. Ford's F-series was first, followed by Chevy Silverado. The Dodge Ram was fourth, and the Ford Explorer was fifth. Somehow, the Toyota Camry snuck in as third. *Speaking of sales, most pickup and SUV sales are pretty flat so far this year, with a couple of exceptions: The Dodge Ram is selling better than it did last year, as are the Explorer and the Chevy Tahoe. *Honda has phased out the Isuzu Rodeo-based Passport and is now selling the Pilot, which is built on the Acura MDX platform and shares most of its mechanical systems. Two trim levels will be offered. The LX starts at $26,900; the EX at $29,270. *Just in case you were waiting to buy one until this was available: A power sunroof is now a $595 option on the Hyundai Santa Fe SUV. Gas-charged hood struts and larger A/C vents have also been added to the Korean ute, which, remarkably, has been selling like gangbusters.
New Power Stroke Diesel on the WayA new 6.0L Power Stroke diesel engine will be available for Ford Super Duty pickups and Excursions in mid 2003. Built by Navistar's International Engine Group, the new V-8 will produce 325 hp at 3,300 rpm and 550 lb-ft of torque at 2,000 rpm. Those numbers far exceed the output of the most recent Power Stroke 525, named for its 525 lb-ft of torque. (Think it's a coincidence that this Power Stroke is coming out at the same time as the High Output Cummins turbodiesel in the '03 Ram 2500 and 3500 trucks? Neither do we.)
The Power Stroke's engineers were able to find all that power by adding some innovative features to the new engine, including direct-injection fuel feed from a high-pressure (up to 26,000 psi) hydraulic rail system. The engine also employs pilot injection, which delivers a small amount of fuel to the combustion chamber just before the main injectors do their stuff. Pilot injection, says Ford, makes the combustion process both smoother and quieter. The turbocharger has been improved too, with an Electronic Variable Response Turbocharging system that uses variable vanes within the turbo to optimize airflow for the driving conditions.