At the Chicago Auto Show in February GM's Hummer will enter the midsize pickup market with the H3T. With Hummer sales tanking over the last year, will a midsize truck by the Elixir that cures their ills?



Based on the architecture of the Hummer H3, the smaller of the brand's two sport utility vehicles, H3T is bigger than a midsize pickup, like the Toyota Tacoma, but smaller than a full-size pickup like a Silverado

The HT3 will feature a five-passenger crew cab and a separate five-foot-long bed. Hummer also makes a larger truck, the H2 SUT, with a six-foot bed.

Hummer says the H3T retains the brand's signature design and off-road capabilities, with standard four wheel drive, 32-inch tires and optional 33-inch tires and front and rear wheel-locking differentials for increased traction. There is a standard 3.7-liter, five-cylinder engine with 242 horsepower and an optional 5.7-liter V-8 with 300 horsepower than can tow up to 5,900 pounds.

The H3T is scheduled to arrive in dealerships this fall. GM said production will begin in the third quarter at the company's Shreveport, La., assembly plant. No price was given, but the 2008 H3 starts at $30,595.
As it phases in the H3T, GM is probably axing the Colorado and Canyon after 2009.