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It’s ironic that the first US pickup since 1986 with a seven-slot grille wears a Hummer badge instead of a Jeep logo (technically, the Jeep Comanche, produced from 1986-1992, had an eight-bar opening, and the Brute pickup from American Expedition Vehicles is an aftermarket conversion).

This after Jeep teased us for years with prototype pickups. The 2003 Scrambler Concept was slated for production but never arrived. The brilliant Gladiator concept, shown at the 2005 Detroit Auto Show, remains in cold storage. And last year the Wrangler JT Concept was baptized during the 2007 Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah but you’ll only be able to drive one if you enlist in the Egyptian army.

Hummer didn’t even exist as a brand when you could buy a Jeep CJ-8 twenty-two years ago. But Hummer has reinvented the segment for a modestly sized, immensely capable off road pickup and jumped in with all four wheels by introducing the new 2009 Hummer H3T. And to kick some sand in Jeep’s headlights, they invited us to drive it in Moab the week before this year’s Easter Jeep Safari.

Hummer picked one of the most popular and challenging trails in Utah for us to put the H3T through its paces, “Hell’s Revenge”. Many of the 4x4s tackling its slickrock paths are customized with 35-inch to 37-inch maximum traction tires, high-end suspensions and roll cages. But the fully loaded pre-production H3T Alpha we’re driving is only equipped with factory kit.

The Alpha’s 5.3-liter V8 puts out 300-horsepower and 320 pound-feet of torque. The optional Adventure Package adds 33-inch BF Goodrich MT (Mud Terrain) tires, extra low range gearing optimized for rock crawling and electronically locking front and rear differentials. The pickup is also equipped with Hummer’s optional 16-inch bead lock wheels that clamp the BFG rubber in place as we lower tire pressure to about 20-psi, for extra grip.

Having never traversed Hell’s Revenge, the opening ascent is sobering. It’s not so much a hill but what frequent off-roadies call a ‘fin’ – a single-lane landscape feature with steep drops on either side. Conveniently, twin lines of black rubber are etched in the sandstone from tire wear. The rubber expertly marks the optimal line up and over the fin.

The red rock surface that looks smooth from a distance surprisingly has the texture of sandpaper – very good for traction. We’ve been in parking garages with half the frictional coefficient of Moab’s grainy paths. Yet, it’s testament to the extreme driveline stresses the H3T will experience throughout the day when we already see recent-laid drops of transmission fluid or oil on the trail from an earlier off-road vehicle. By the time the day is over we’ll see two four wheelers disabled on the trail.

They don’t call it rock crawling for nothing. We’re only doing a few miles per hour over the tough terrain, to keep driveline stress and truck bounce to a minimum.

We shift into 4-Lo in tricky sections of the trail because we’re prioritizing torque over fuel economy, to pull us out of any challenges. The H3T’s first gear ratio is 3.06 and its low-range gear reduction is 4:1. Multiplying first gear times low-range times a 4.10 rear axle gives us a 50:1 crawl ratio – meaning that in 4-Lo the H3T’s axles are turning 50 times slower than the engine’s RPM. Think about that if we’re only doing 2-to 3-mph! It’s an astounding 70:1 if you have a 5-speed manual 5-cylinder H3T. And while all that mechanical torque management is going on, the H3T’s engine computer constantly adjusts the truck’s throttle response based on speed and gear to prevent lurching and driveline stress.

We keep the transfer case in 4-Lo, often shifting the 4-speed automatic transmission between D1 and D2, and occasionally D3, depending on the trail’s difficulty and slope.

If you understand what we just wrote, you’ll also understand why we recommend the 5.3-liter V8 over the standard 3.7-liter inline 5-cylinder engine.

Even though hard core off roaders will appreciate the I5’s 70:1 crawl ratio, it only has 242-hp and 242 lb-ft and a 4.56 rear axle (what is this, a HD pickup?). We think you’re going to find yourself out of gas, so to speak, at speeds over 65-mph with the I5. The V8’s extra horsepower and torque are well worth the extra few dollars because you’ll get better overall performance on and off-road. However, it’s disappointing only a four-speed automatic transmission is paired with the 5.3-liter V8, because if a 6-speed gearbox was available it would likely benefit the H3T with improved fuel economy (which hasn’t been announced yet) and off-roadability.

A Hummer rep tells us the H3 family will receive GM’s new 3.6-liter V6 gasoline direct injection (GDI) motor in the not too distant future. We expect this will be the end of the I5 in the Hummer lineup.

On the back half of the trail Hummer engineers take the H3T from our novice hands to demonstrate its extreme capabilities in two optional ‘challenges’. The first is “Hell’s Gate” and the second, amusingly, is called “Tip-Over Challenge”. Both require the use of the H3T’s front and rear e-lockers.

Picture Hell’s Gate like a big horseshoe, where the open side marks the entry and exit points and the round part is pointed downhill, at what looks to be a 25 to 30 degree angle. The descent follows a V-shaped rift in the sandstone, where the gap is reasonably centered between the H3T’s wheels. It’s coming back up the other side of Hell’s Gate that’s incredibly difficult (you can see it in the video on page 1). The rift on the far side changes to a shape like a V leaning to one side – with one wall near vertical and the other at a shallow angle. Ascending requires a spotter to help the driver keep the passenger side wheels on just the right line. If the line is lost, the vehicle can slide down the wall leaving its passenger side flush with the rock – not good for the vehicle or forward motion. The spotter also serves as the eyes of the driver because all the person steering can see is blue sky. It takes two tries, but the H3T manages to slowly walk its way up Hell’s Gate. At times only three wheels are touching the earth.

Tip-Over Challenge doesn’t appear difficult at first glance. The giveaway is its large cloudy patch of tire blackened rock, instead of two neatly spaced worn rubber lines. A sandy base doesn’t provide much traction before hitting its slick slanted face. Even with both lockers engaged the H3T quickly overcomes the rock’s static coefficient of friction, making the tires squeal in protest as they slip. Still, the truck slowly climbs up the challenge. Lesser rigs that have tried this obstacle have flipped over on their backs, like desert tortoises falling on the tops of their shells.

The rest of the drive was difficult but manageable. Several times we bottomed out the H3T’s extended wheelbase but the underbody shielding protected the delicate parts. By the end of the trail, except for a bent rear license plate, the truck wasn’t worse off for the wear.

It’s difficult to imagine a more capable factory off-road pickup than the Hummer H3T. With front and rear electronic locking differentials, a 5.3-liter V8 and a footprint that places it somewhere in between mid-size and full-size pickups, Hummer has created a class all its own. This is the truck for serious rock hounds who work their truck hard during the week and even harder on the weekends. Jeep wishes they had this truck.

Assuming the American Axle strike doesn’t last through the summer, the first Hummer H3Ts should arrive at dealers by September. Pricing hasn’t been announced.

Rivals:

The Dodge Power Wagon is a worthy competitor, but it would have been difficult or impossible to navigate the gigantic three-quarter-ton Ram 2500 through some of the sticky cramped trails the H3T conquered.

Strengths:

V8 engine and minimal electronic nannies to babysit and distract through rough spots. The 4:1 gear reduction in 4-Lo enables the H3T to crawl over gotchas without the need for brakes, freeing the driver to identify and navigate the best path on the trail. It takes getting used to, but once you do you’ll be thankful for the convenience.

Weaknesses:

V8 engine and four-speed transmission. While it easily beat Moab’s rocky trails, it’s going to be difficult for the H3T to rack up big sales wins in a rocky economy. Are house poor truck buyers going to want a purpose-built off-roader when fuel prices are on their way to $4.00/gallon? We wish it had GM’s new V6 GDI engine today.