The striking new Hummer H3 has secured more than 400 pre-launch customer orders ahead of its official launch this week.

With its imposing on-road presence and purpose-built off-road capability Hummer is one of the most recognisable brands in the world.

The introduction of the H3, the brand's economical and manoeuvrable mid-size SUV, in North America has also helped make Hummer one of the fastest growing brands.

HUMMER is launching in Australia with H3 in three models - entry level H3, the ultimate off-road H3 Adventure and highly specified H3 Luxury.

Director of GM Premium Brands, Parveen Batish, says the H3's Australian launch is part of a successful global roll-out for HUMMER.

"The H3 has proved itself in some of world's most challenging environments from Australia's Rocky Track to the famous Rubicon Trail," Mr Batish said.

"This outstanding off-road performance, together with its iconic design and city-friendly size make it the ideal vehicle to launch the brand in this market."

The first customers to order an H3 earlier this year have started taking delivery of their cars this month.

"Australians are clearly excited by the Hummer brand, and we're finding our buyers are confident, independent minded and embrace the H3 for bringing a sense of fun and adventure to their lives," Mr Batish said.

H3 packs authentic Hummer style and capability into more compact dimensions. Compared to the famous Hummer H2, H3 is 39mm shorter in length, 171mm shorter in height and 73mm narrower, allowing it to navigate city traffic and still deliver Hummer trademark crawling and climbing capability.

Performance and economy

Available in either five-speed manual or four-speed automatic depending on the model, H3 retails from $51,990, H3 Adventure from $57,9901 and H3 Luxury from $59,9901 (full pricing details below).

All H3 models are powered by a 3.7 litre in-line five cylinder petrol engine, developing peak power of 180kW at 5,600rpm and peak torque of 328Nm at 4,600rpm with 90 per cent of peak torque available between 2,000 and 6,000rpm. The Vortec 3700 engine has dual overhead cams and variable valve timing.

Official fuel consumption (ADR 81/01) for combined highway and urban driving is 13.8 litres (manual) and 14.5 litres per 100km (automatic), in line with similar mid-size SUVs.

H3 has a tight turning circle of 11.3 metres, comparable to an average size passenger car, and compact proportions, making it easy to negotiate in urban environments.

Off-road capabilities

H3 offers a choice of two electronically controlled two-speed Borg-Warner transfer cases. The standard transfer case available on H3 and Luxury, delivers a crawl ratio of 45.1:1 in manual form, and 36.8:1 for automatic.

H3 Adventure specification takes the vehicle's off-road, rock-hopping capability to the next level with a super strong crawl ratio of 68.9:1 in manual transmission, and 56.2:1 in automatic.

During day-to-day driving H3 is full-time 4WD, with 40 to 60 per cent front-to-rear torque split in 4 HIGH OPEN. When driving on slippery surfaces such as ice, snow or sand, drivers can engage 4 HIGH LOCK, which locks torque split 50:50 front to rear and drive is transferred to the front or rear wheels as needed.

Drivers tackling challenging off-road situations can engage 4 LOW LOCK which creates a totally different set of gear ratios. For H3 and H3 Luxury the transfer ratio is 2.64:1 and the extreme H3 Adventure boasts a transfer ratio of 4.03:1, which is the most aggressive transfer ratio GM has installed in a production vehicle.

Safety

Standard active safety features on all H3 models include: StabiliTrak® stability enhancement system, traction control, ABS and dynamic rear proportioning brakes. Passive safety equipment including dual front airbags with passenger sensing system and curtain bags is also standard on all H3 vehicles.

HUMMER production and management

H3 is assembled in the General Motors Struandale Assembly Facility in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, which produces left and right-hand drive models for Australia, South Africa and other countries in Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

Locally, Hummer (GM) Australia is managed by the GM Premium Brands, incorporating Hummer and Saab, within GM Holden in Port Melbourne. Led by Director Parveen Batish and established this year, the GM Premium Brands team is responsible for developing and managing all elements of Hummer sales, marketing and aftersales in Australia.

HUMMER retail network

Twenty two Hummer dealers have been appointed around Australia with representation in every state and territory. The newly appointed network represents a selection of existing premium Saab, Holden and combined dealerships.

Dealers now have demonstration vehicles, colour and trim display units and Hummer merchandise available for purchase. A complete list of dealerships is attached.

Model range and pricing

H3: $51,9901 (manual) $53,9901 (automatic)

Features: Cruise control, electro-chromatic rearview mirror with eight point compass, power windows, fog lights and halogen headlamps, five 16 x 7.5 inch alloy wheels, remote entry with panic alarm, single in-dash CD, cloth seats and 60/40 split rear seats.

H3 Luxury: $59,9901 (automatic)

Features: Automatic transmission standard, leather Seat inserts, electric heated front seats with eight way power adjustment, leather wrapped steering wheel, exterior chrome package including door handles, roof cross bars and mirror caps, six-disc in-dash CD Monsoon sound system and glass sunroof.

H3 Adventure: $57,9901 (manual) $59,9901 (automatic)

Features: Manual transmission as standard (optional automatic), the same level of specification as the Luxury model (excluding sunroof), adding a fully locking electronic rear differential and heavy duty two-speed transfer case with a super low range ratio of 4.03:1 for the ultimate rock-hopping Hummer performance.

Metallic paint is a $1,200 option on all models.