General Motors may not be selling any Hummers until next year, but they’ve just reposted the specs. Shall we compare it with the top Ram, the supercharged-Hemi-powered Ram 1500 TRX? Stay with us as we see if the TRX can beat the Hummer — and compare the Hellcat to GM’s new electric pickup. (There’s also a similar Hummer SUV on the way.)
The Hummer is electric, and appears to be considerably smaller than the Ram; the starting price is not that much higher than the Ram’s, but to get the numbers we’re showing below, you need to spend around $30,000 more. Personal experience has borne out Ram’s claim that the TRX is rough and tough; the ride is very smooth but the vehicle is capable of enduring some pretty severe trail abuse, if Patrick Rall’s stories are true (and he does have photos and videos to back them up). We don’t know much about the production Hummer’s off-road chops yet, but it has some pretty impressive features and GM has made some hefty claims.
| Hummer Pickup* | Ram 1500 TRX | |
|---|---|---|
| Horsepower | Up to 1,000 | 702 |
| Torque | Up to 11,500 | 650 |
| 0-60 times | “Around” 3.0 seconds | 4.3 seconds |
| Oddball features | 4-wheel-steering diagonal drive (crabwalk); Extract mode adds 6” of lift; offroad maps with charging points; 18-exterior-camera “ultravision” | Extra-tough custom suspension, 360° cameras, split screen, 2.64:1 low range, largest brakes in segment |
| Center screen | 13.4” | 12” |
| Tires | 35” | 35” |
| Lockup axles | Yes | Yes |
| Ground clearance | 11.9” (15.9” in “extract mode”) | 11.8” |
| Approach** | 44.3° | 30.2 |
| Departure | 33.7° | 23.5 |
| Breakover | 25.4° | 21.9 |
| Water crossing | 28” (32” in extract mode) | Up to 32” |
| Front/rear suspension travel | 13” | Over 13” |
| Self-driving | Super Cruise | None |
| Fuel refill | 100 miles in 10 minutes | All miles in 5 minutes |
| Range | 350 miles (opt) | 396 miles (33 gallons x 12 mpg) |
| Price | $79,995 base; $99,995 without fast charge | $70,095 base and as specified |
| Actual offroad ability | Unknown | Incredibly tough and capable; 0-60 in 4.3 on dirt; takes jumps with aplomb |
| Available | 2022 | 2021 |
* Most of these figures are options
** Angles are in standard mode, not extract mode
There you have it. Ram may have some work to match Hummer in performance, but they are doing surprisingly well against a flagship GM vehicle not yet in production. There’s no question but that these trucks are going to be lined up on drag strips and unpaved dirt runs, formally and informally. The Hummer, if it’s anything like the Teslas, may have one big disadvantage: keeping its high performance going over time. Teslas are known for losing a good deal of their acceleration as they heat up, while Hellcats are impressively well-cooled and can keep going until they suck the tank dry.
