No New Saturns or Hummers after 2009

During GM’s announcement today that Pontiac would no longer exist after 2010, the company also said it would stop producing new Saturns after the 2009 model year and Hummers by the end of 2009.

Previously, GM had said it would build Saturn through 2011. The 2009 model year is currently being sold; GM generally switches over to the new model year during the summer. This means no new Saturns — and likely no new Hummers — will roll off assembly lines after this summer.

While the end of Pontiac may be seen as a sad day to automotive buffs, the same can’t be said for Saturn and Hummer. The two brands don’t have the cachet or fanbase of the 83-year-old Pontiac. However, this accelerated timeline caught the industry off guard.

If you’re thinking of buying a car or SUV from either brand, spokesmen from both companies say that they will be fully backed by GM’s warranty until either brand is sold. That same warranty is also backed by the U.S. government for any GM vehicle sold through May 31.

Both Saturn and Hummer are in the process of being sold to new owners. There are a number of scenarios for each brand, which we detail below.

GM Red Tag Sale: Cadillac, Hummer, Saab Deals

Our coverage of GM’s Red Tag Sale rolls on, and this time we’re taking a look at available deals on Cadillac, Saab and Hummer models for 2008 and 2009. Given the pricey nature of most of these vehicles, the percent-off calculations are slightly less impressive than, say, Chevrolet’s might be, but the cash back and Red Tag prices team to provide some interesting deals.

For example, the 2009 STS V6 1SC saves $5,719 off its original MSRP of $55,325. The 2008 Escalade SUV 2WD drops $10,183 off its original MSRP of $56,890, among others.

Saab and HUMMER have their fair share of deals as well. A 2008 Saab 9-3 Aero Sport sedan drops from $35,960 to $30,145 after the Red Tag sale and cash back, while the 2008 9-5 Aero Sport sedan drops all the way to $32,719 from $39,480. Most of the Hummer deals are what you’d expect — huge rebates and cash back on the company’s slow-selling models. There is one interesting outlier, though: The brand-new 2009 H3T has $1,500 cash back; with the Red Tag sale, it drops from $31,495 to $28,188.

A larger list of vehicle deals is below. As always, be sure to double-check your zip code on GM’s site to make sure deals apply in your area.

Recall alert: 2006-2008 GM SUVs, Cars, Trucks

GM is recalling 850,000 vehicles because of problems with the windshield wiper fluid system that could lead to a fire. The recall involves SUVs that are equipped with a heated washer fluid system, which could short circuit and cause an electrical malfunction that could lead to a fire.

GM said the recall includes the 2008 Buick Enclave, 2006-2008 Buick Lucerne, 2006-2008 Cadillac DTS, 2007-2008 Cadillac Escalade, 2007-2008 Cadillac Escalade ESV, 2007-2008 Cadillac Escalade EXT, 2007-2008 Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado, Tahoe and Suburban, 2007-2008 GMC Acadia, Sierra, Yukon and Yukon XL, 2006-2008 Hummer H2 and 2007-2008 Saturn Outlook.

Dealers will fix the problem free of charge, GM said. If you own one of these vehicles, contact your local dealer.

Hummer Employee Pricing: Get an H3 for CR-V Prices

GM’s Employee Pricing sale, which runs today through Sept. 2, includes some pretty good deals, but none of the rest will likely hold a candle to how much is being chopped off the price of a new 2008 Hummer. The once wildly popular H3 is now selling for bargain-basement prices. While its MSRP of $31,340 is right in line with competition from Ford and Nissan, it can now be had for more than $9,000 less than that, thanks to the employee pricing discount and $6,000 cash back. The new price of $22,278 is less than a Honda CR-V EX, which rings in at $23,620.

What if you’re looking for Hummer’s big SUV, the H2? The starting MSRP of $58,325 for either the SUV or SUT drops nearly $6,000 with the employee price, and there’s another $7,000 in cash back, bringing your total to $45,445. 

All prices include destination. For availability of the deals in your area, make sure to check GM’s Summersale website, though we’ve had problems using it all morning. We’ll have more updates on the rest of GM’s employee pricing deals throughout the day, so stay tuned.

Cars.com Reviews 2008 Hummer H2

With gas prices setting new records every other day and large SUVs becoming the lepers of the car market, GM has the pleasure of introducing to the driving public the new 2008 Hummer H2. Sure, it's more efficient than, say, lighting a barrel of gasoline on fire, but that's clearly not what consumers are looking for. Expert reviewer Mike Hanley took the H2 for a spin (hoping the whole time he wouldn’t be spotted by anyone he knew). Read his full review below.

2008 Hummer H2 Review

Hummer's H2 Cell Phone

Believe it or not, an H2-branded cell phone will go on sale this year in parts of the world where there has been little backslash for the Hummer brand. That’s mainly Russia and South America. The cell phone gets some bright coloring but also has some decent capabilities, including a 2 megapixel camera, microSD slot, built-in modem, email and Dual-Sim. Not too shabby of a phone. We’d expect it to be a good incentive to add on to an H2 sale. Bundle that cell-phone price into the loan term while you’re at it.

Hummer HT2 Phone Is Smaller, Brighter, Even More Pointless than the Original (Gizmodo)

Hummer Announces 2008 H2 Prices

The 2008 Hummer H2 may look the same on the outside, but it receives a radically updated interior that brings it up to speed with the rest of GM’s large SUV platform. It also gets a new 393-hp V-8 engine and six-speed automatic transmission that GM says is more efficient than the 2007, although we haven’t seen mileage numbers quite yet.

Prices have gone up roughly $1,400 for both SUV and SUT models. The H2 SUV will start at $55,510 and the SUT will start at $55,555. The H2 goes on sale late this summer. Neither price includes $900 in destination charges. A Luxury Series will be available for $6,410 for the SUV and $4,000 for the SUT. An Adventure Package for off-roading will be available at $1,555 for both models. We’re waiting on word on what exactly the Luxury and Adventure packages will include.

Related
Hummer Hummer News (KickingTires)

GM to Build Light-Duty V-8 Diesel

Last year, Ford kicked off the light-duty diesel scramble when it said it would build a diesel F-150 in the not-too-distant future. Now GM has joined the fray, with plans to shoehorn a 4.5-liter diesel V-8 under the hoods of the Hummer H2 and light-duty 1500 versions of the GMC Sierra and Chevy Silverado. Expect them to arrive around 2010.

With space constraints dictated by its current lineup of pushrod gasoline engines, GM had to fit a square peg into a round hole, so to speak. The Duramax turbo-diesel sports a few space-saving tricks — among them exhaust portals that exit into the center of the "V," not to the outside, as normally happens. The General says the engine will produce more than 310 hp and 520 pounds-feet of torque. Compare that to the chestiest gas V-8 in the Sierra 1500, which makes 400 hp and 415 pounds-feet of torque. Towing capacity will likely increase measurably over the Silverado and Sierra’s 10,500-pound maximum.

With decreased carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions, GM expects the Duramax to meet stringent emissions standards in all 50 states. Fuel efficiency should be up 25 percent versus a comparable gasoline engine, GM powertrain spokesman Tom Read said. We couldn't find a gasoline V-8 in GM's truck lineup that makes anywhere near 520 pounds-feet of torque, though, so we can't predict any mpg.

Source: GM 

NFL Draftee-to-Be Quinn Gets Free Hummer H2

Here’s one thing we just don’t understand: How come the rich and famous get the best free stuff? Whether it’s the gift bags they used to get at the Oscars or cars for superstar athletes, the folks with the most cash get the big ticket freebies. Not fair.

The latest case of this is former Notre Dame quarterback — and a potential top 10 draft pick tomorrow — Brady Quinn getting a Hummer during tomorrow’s NFL Draft. He’s actually getting just the use of two new 2008 H2s for one year, and not the full outright cars, but still. What’s that in lease-deal terms? It has to be over $1,000 a month for both, right? And why would he need two?

Anyway, amaze your buddies tomorrow with this factoid while you watch the NFL draft. The presentation with Hummer will happen between noon and 2 p.m. Saturday EDT. He should be wearing an NFL team cap by then. [please, be a Miami Dolphins hat, please –ed.]

Source: GM

Related
2008 Hummer H2 Gets Nicer Interior, Badder Engine (KickingTires)
2007 New York Auto Show: 2008 Hummer H2 (Cars.com)

2008 Hummer H2 Gets Nicer Interior, Badder Engine

The H2 brought the Hummer brand to the masses, but today it seems a little outdated on the road. Even so, it still has fans out there, and the company has treated them with a dramatically improved interior and new 6.2-liter V-8 engine for both the H2 SUV and SUT.

On the outside, we don’t think anyone will notice larger openings in the grille and a silver-painted bumper, as that’s all that has changed. Inside is where it counts. The entire instrument panel has been redesigned, there are new seats, new door trim and a full third-row seat for the first time.

The engine is a 393-hp V-8 with 415 pounds-feet of torque, good for a towing capacity of 8,200 pounds — a 1,700-pound bump over the outgoing model. The H2 also gets new standard safety equipment, including curtain airbags for all three rows of seats, seat belt pretensioners, electronic stability control with rollover mitigation, a tire pressure monitoring system and a panic brake assist.

Hummer says the new H2 will go on sale “later this year,” so we’re guessing after the summer. We’ll let you know when we hear something more definitive. Check out more pictures of the interior and exterior below.