Hummer H2 History

The H2 was the first all-new Hummer developed under GM ownership, launched for the 2003 model year (production began in 2002). Unlike the bespoke H1, it used mainstream GM hardware — a modified GMT820 full-size truck frame — wrapped in styling that deliberately echoed the H1's upright, military look. It was assembled by AM General at a new plant in Mishawaka, Indiana.

Big, heavy, and thirsty, the H2 became the cultural symbol of mid-2000s American excess — celebrated by some, attacked by others as the poster child for SUV fuel consumption. A pickup-bodied H2 SUT, with a fold-down 'midgate' between cab and bed, was added for the 2005 model year.

The H2 ran a 6.0L V8 (325 hp) through 2007, then gained a larger 6.2L V8 (393 hp) with a six-speed automatic for 2008. Sales collapsed as fuel prices spiked, and production ended in 2009 amid GM's bankruptcy and the broader wind-down of the Hummer brand.