GM’s Hummer X concept finally puts the Hummer idea in a body that makes sense.
The SUV concept is 188.3 inches long, 80 inches wide, and rides on 37-inch Goodyear tires with 13.2 inches of ground clearance. GMC’s current Hummer EV SUV stretches 206.7 inches with the rear spare tire attached. That is an 18.4-inch cut in overall length, and anyone who has tried to thread a wide EV through a wooded trail or a tight parking deck can understand why that number jumps off the page.
The current Hummer EV has always felt like a moonshot with license plates. Fast, outrageous, expensive, and enormous. I respect the theater, but I have never bought the idea that bigger automatically makes a better off-road EV. The Hummer X SUV gets closer to the size the revived Hummer should have targeted from the beginning.
GM showed the Hummer X in SUV and pickup form as part of the opening of its new Advanced Design Pasadena studio. The company says the concepts use FLEX FAB, a flexible metal-fabrication process that allows fast, small-batch, on-demand production without dedicated stamping tools for every design. Both Hummer X versions are listed at 57 percent Flex Fab content.
That 57 percent figure is the number I keep coming back to.
Why the Hummer X SUV has the better proportions
The SUV concept has an 116-inch wheelbase. That puts it near the four-door Ford Bronco and Jeep Wrangler zone, which is exactly where an electric Hummer should be fighting.
The current Hummer EV SUV is spectacular, but its mass and width dominate the experience. GMC lists the production SUV at 86.46 inches wide without mirrors. The Hummer X SUV is 80 inches wide. Six and a half inches may not sound dramatic on paper. On a trail, in a garage, or between concrete barriers, it is the difference between confidence and clenched teeth.
The Hummer X SUV also carries the better tire and wheel package: 315/75R18 Goodyear rubber with a 37-inch outside diameter. Real sidewall. Real clearance. Less mall-crawler nonsense.
The photos help the argument. The white SUV with the red roof, rear-mounted spare, clipped overhangs, flat hood, exposed hardware, and upright glass looks like a Hummer drawn by someone who still remembers trails have trees. The current Hummer EV looks like it could drive over a problem. The Hummer X SUV looks like it could fit between problems.
That is the key difference.
Why the pickup feels less convincing
The pickup concept uses a 130.7-inch wheelbase and stretches to 207.3 inches overall. It has 12.5 inches of ground clearance, a 41.5-degree approach angle, a 29.7-degree departure angle, and a 24.9-degree breakover angle. Good numbers.
Then GM puts it on 35-inch street tires and 22-inch wheels.
That combination tells me how to read the truck. It has presence, and the red concept looks tough in the photos, but the SUV is the more serious build. The pickup has show-stand energy. The SUV has trailhead energy.
I am not saying 35s are small. They are not. But 22-inch wheels on a vehicle being pitched with rock-crawling language make me twitch. Sidewall is suspension. Sidewall is rim protection. Sidewall is the difference between airing down and making excuses.
If GM ever sends a smaller electric Hummer toward production, the SUV deserves the first ticket out of the studio.
What Flex Fab could fix
Traditional body tooling punishes weird ideas. A stamping die costs real money. A low-volume fender, roof panel, door skin, or accessory body treatment has to justify itself before it ever reaches the line. That is why most production vehicles get trapped in safe shapes and safe trim walks.
GM says Flex Fab avoids specialized stamping tools and can produce multiple designs from the same machines. I want to see how that holds up outside concept-land, because factory reality has teeth: crash repair, corrosion protection, paint finish, tolerances, noise control, warranty cost, line speed, and service parts.
Still, the idea is worth paying attention to.
A smaller Hummer should be the perfect test case for modular bodywork. Removable fender flares. Different trail panels. Short-run exterior packs. Easier accessory integration. Body parts that do not require a giant traditional tooling bet before GM knows whether buyers care.
That is where Hummer could become interesting again. The brand does not need another giant trophy EV. It needs a way to make adventure hardware feel personal without turning every variant into a financial science project.
The cockpit has one good idea buried under concept drama
GM says the Hummer X uses stackable displays that drivers can configure for rock crawling, trail running, or highway cruising. The interior photos show a wide digital layout with a mix of screens and chunky design elements.
I get the appeal.
An off-road EV needs better information hierarchy than a normal crossover. Tire pressure, pitch, roll, battery state, motor output, camera views, trail maps, suspension data, and range all compete for attention. A crawling layout should prioritize different information than a highway layout. A charging layout should look different again.
That part makes sense.
The risk is obvious: too much screen theater. Off-road interiors need controls you can use when your hands are dirty, when the cabin is bouncing, and when sunlight is blasting through the windshield. GM should keep the configurable data idea and be ruthless about the rest. A useful trail interface beats a glowing wall of concept-car graphics every time.
GM should treat this as a Hummer reset
GM says the Hummer X concepts are not intended for production. Fine. Concept cars rarely survive intact.
The shape, size, and manufacturing idea should survive.
The current Hummer EV Pickup starts at $97,200 for 2026, and the SUV lives in the same high-dollar neighborhood. That pricing turns Hummer into a rich-buyer toy before the conversation even reaches charging, insurance, tires, or garage fit. A smaller Hummer that still lands near six figures would repeat the same mistake in a tighter suit.
A production version of the Hummer X SUV would need discipline.
Keep the 116-inch wheelbase. Keep the width closer to 80 inches. Keep 18-inch wheels and real tire sidewall. Keep underbody protection. Keep the flat, mechanical design language. Keep removable flares if they can be replaced without a body-shop horror story. Keep the useful off-road data screens.
Cut the show-car indulgence.
GM already has the big Hummer EV for buyers who want maximum spectacle. A smaller Hummer should chase a different driver: someone who wants real capability, easier packaging, and enough personality to avoid feeling like a recycled crossover with all-terrain tires.
What this concept says about Hummer’s next move
Hummer still has one of the strongest names in off-road culture, even after years of baggage. The name carries attitude. It also carries expectations. A Hummer should feel bold, mechanical, and slightly unreasonable, but the current EV sometimes crosses from unreasonable into inconvenient.
The Hummer X SUV pulls the idea back toward usability.
That is why the concept works. The stance is right. The tire package is right. The shorter body is right. The 13.2-inch clearance figure is right. The 80-inch width is still wide, but no longer ridiculous by Hummer standards. The 57 percent Flex Fab claim gives GM a manufacturing story that could support lower-volume off-road variants if the process survives production scrutiny.
I would rather see GM build a cleaner, tougher Hummer X SUV than another six-figure electric monument.
The pickup can stay in the design studio for now. The SUV has the bones.
The owner and buyer takeaway
Do not wait for this exact Hummer X. GM already framed it as a concept.
Watch what GM does with the parts.
The 116-inch SUV wheelbase, 80-inch width, 37-inch tires, real underbody protection, and Flex Fab body strategy are the useful pieces. The stackable screens could become useful if GM keeps them focused on trail data instead of visual noise. The pickup looks cool, but the SUV points to the better production idea.
If GM wants Hummer to grow beyond a giant flagship EV, this is the path: smaller, tougher, more modular, and priced far enough below the current Hummer EV to attract buyers who actually use the thing.
Build the SUV. Keep the tire sidewall. Price it like a serious off-roader, not a rolling tech demo.
If GMC built a smaller Hummer EV inspired by the Hummer X SUV, what would you prioritize first: 37-inch tires, a sub-80-inch width, 300-plus miles of range, removable body panels, or a much lower price?
About The Author
Noah Washington is an automotive journalist based in Atlanta, Georgia, covering sports cars, luxury vehicles, and performance culture. His reporting focuses on explaining the engineering, design philosophy, and real-world ownership experience behind modern vehicles.
Noah has been immersed in the automotive world since his early teens, attending industry events and following the enthusiast communities that shape how cars are built and driven today. His work blends industry insight with enthusiastic storytelling, helping readers understand not just what a car is, but why it matters.
Noah is also a member of the Southeast Automotive Media Association (SAMA), a professional organization for automotive journalists and industry media in the Southeast.
His coverage regularly explores sports cars, luxury vehicles, and performance-driven segments of the automotive industry, including the evolving culture surrounding Formula Drift and enthusiast builds.
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