2025 GMC Hummer EV SUV 3X e4WD First Test: Fun Way, Way Beyond the Numbers
The SUV version of the Hummer EV frequently gets in its own way, but it’ll make you smile regardless.
Pros
- Visually interesting interior
- Spacious cabin
- Tons of character
Cons
- Transparent roof’s solar gain
- Heavy, ungainly performer
- Numb brake pedal
As far as gargantuan vehicles go, Hummers have always been big, and they’re still big, and they will remain big until the dinosaurs come back. As its name suggests, the 2025 GMC Hummer EV SUV 3X e4WD is the SUV version of the reincarnated, all-electric Hummer family, and it’s every bit as ridiculous as the pickup that closely preceded it. Like that truck, this SUV is a powerful vehicle that’s ultimately at odds with its own size and weight. What you might not expect here is, finally, an EV with some personality. Who woulda thought?
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Take in the Sights
No one has accused the new electric Hummer of being affordable, but at least this mid-tier 3X e4WD trim feels like it’s working to earn that $100,000-plus price. You need to take a cartoonishly big step up to clamber into the cabin, but once you’re there, you’re met by a really cool black-and-white two-tone interior motif, interesting patterns on the doors, crisp infotainment graphics, and a ton of physical buttons. Obviously, the space is generous, with more than ample room for three in the second row.
Really, the only thing we take issue with is the optional infinity roof with transparent sky panels ($1,495). The sun beats down on occupants with no cover, so do yourself a favor and skip this one. And regardless of their material, the removable panels will squeak no matter what.
To Test
After thrashing the Hummer EV SUV around, the biggest piece of advice we can give, ironically, is to treat it with patience. We know—the people most likely to buy these things probably won’t be saints with regard to the accelerator and brake pedals. And with a 0–60-mph time of 3.4 seconds, the Hummer is not exactly the last word in restraint. But seeing as it weighs 8,673 pounds (!), there’s only so much mechanical grip can do for you until physics takes the wheel.
Straight-line accelerative performance is interesting. Despite the quick sprint time, the launch doesn’t punch as hard as the numbers suggest. We attribute this to the fact that the tires get overwhelmed initially and lose some of their off-the-line bite at start in WTF—Watts to Freedom—mode, the Hummer’s all-out drive setting. With more road-oriented tires, we suspect the SUV would be just as quick as the higher-horsepower pickup.
But the drama of it all. Mash the accelerator, and the SUV’s snout lifts for the moon like a wolf about to howl. Inside, the generated sound effects are “one of the more original and more evocative executions” of faux thrust noises, testing director Eric Tingwall notes. The quarter mile is achieved in 11.8 seconds at 112.1 mph, but the SUV is speed-limited to 112 mph, which obviously happens a brush before the quarter does. This does mean the Rivian R1S Quad Max Ascend’s 10.5-seconds-at-128.2-mph time has the Hummer beat, though.
And with a car this big, you want the brakes to work and work well. Well, what you want isn’t always what you get. The Hummer grabs a 142-foot stop from 60 mph, which is laughable next to the Rivian’s 107 feet. Down from 100 mph and hard on the brake pedal, it feels like nothing happens until 75 mph. We wouldn’t say it’s soft or squishy feedback necessarily, just that the pedal doesn’t feel like it’s connected to anything. It’s an odd contrast to the loud antilock brake system at work. And just as the nose rises for acceleration, it dives down as speed falls, more and more as the tires finally find purchase.
Translation: Give yourselves a ton of room to stop, friends.
The sleeping dragon here is ABS; wake it up, and the heavy SUV becomes quite unsettled, with the traction control clearly working hard to keep things civilized. In our figure-eight lap test, understeer is an omnipresent threat in the corners. Keeping it at bay is a full-time job. On this front, we’re surprised the Hummer EV SUV doesn’t do more with its tri-motor setup (with two motors at the rear), as it’s difficult to overpower the rear tires without initiating front-end push. Still, it’s not exactly a road-focused vehicle. As a result of all this, the brakes overheat during aggressive use (such as in our figure-eight laps), even initiating a “Brakes Overheated Service Now” message in the gauge cluster that clears after stepping out and locking the doors.
What’s the Point?
There’s no doubt the Hummer EV SUV gets in its own way. It’s massive to maneuver, can be difficult to park, and will have you double-checking the weight limits of your local historical bridges and getting a driveway repair person on standby, but it appeals to the same part of our brains that love throwing big rocks into bodies of water from great heights and shooting off giant fireworks. It is the id, personified. In this car, you get to feel like a dumb kid again.
That is especially true if you off-road in it. The thing surefootedly handles sand like it’s not even there and its suspension soaks up the worst of the bumpiness. There’s a sense of invincibility to it. As a daily driver, it’s comfortable. Super Cruise takes all the fatigue out of commuting. The four-wheel steering makes you feel like you’re pivoting rather than turning.
Is it grossly inefficient despite being battery-electric? Yes. But as a stunt, it’s a good one even if the Rivian R1S also plays well in the dirt yet drives smaller and generally better on the paved surfaces people spend most of their time on. But all in, the Hummer EV SUV is huge fun, and there’s always room for this much fun even if it comes with a host of trade-offs.
I got into cars the way most people do: my dad. Since I was little, it was always something we’d talk about and I think he was stoked to have his kid share his interest. He’d buy me the books, magazines, calendars, and diecast models—everything he could do to encourage a young enthusiast. Eventually, I went to school and got to the point where people start asking you what you want to do with your life. Seeing as cars are what I love and writing is what I enjoy doing, combining the two was the logical next step. This dream job is the only one I’ve ever wanted. Since then, I’ve worked at Road & Track, Jalopnik, Business Insider, The Drive, and now MotorTrend, and made appearances on Jay Leno’s Garage, Good Morning America, The Smoking Tire Podcast, Fusion’s Car vs. America, the Ask a Clean Person podcast, and MotorTrend’s Shift Talkers. In my spare time, I enjoy reading, cooking, and watching the Fast & Furious movies on repeat. Tokyo Drift is the best one.
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