Waiting on the SUT??? . . .

[Texas Red]

. . . don't hold your breath. There is some scuttlebutt on the H2ML that says the SUT will begin production 2Q 2004 for a 2005 VIN date. And the H3 has no firm dates -- still in early design trade studies.

Jim
Red H2 in Texas

[Texas Red]

. . . don't hold your breath. There is some scuttlebutt on the H2ML that says the SUT will begin production 2Q 2004 for a 2005 VIN date. And the H3 has no firm dates -- still in early design trade studies.

Jim
Red H2 in Texas

I heard the same thing and called my dealership. They SAID they made a few calls and called me back and that everyone they talked to is still saying spring of 2003...

Of course, they might be talking to the wrong people.

Well, got the sads new today.

July of 2004...

Can't decide if I should wait OR go ahead and get a H2 suv...

[ktower_heels]

I was in the same boat of waiting for the SUT. I am saddened, but if I must get the H2 SUV, then I must. [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img]

[Dan]

I am going to wait. I hadn't planned on taking delivery of mine until this time next year. That was before I got the news about the REAL production dates. So Im really adding about a half year to my wait. That'll give me some extra time to bank some gas money! [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img]

Don't get me wrong, I love the SUV. I just need a small truck bed. I've ruined the back of one too many car & SUV with bags of fertilizer, lime, firewood, etc.

- Dan

I currently have a 2001 Sierra C3, so it I am not exactly driving a peice of junk right now. I can wait, no big deal...

Besides, if I didn't wait, I would be jealous of Dan next July...

[ktower_heels]

After my wife saw how practicle the Avalanche was that her Brother in Law was driving; she now insists that I get the SUT.
My patience with GM is going to wear very thin waiting on them to turn that puppy out by 2004!!
Gotta admit I think the SUT looks cooler than the SUV!

You do realize that the word on the street is the SUT will not do the Avalanche folding thing...

Atleast that is what my dealer has been told at the hummer meetings.

[Dan]

I asked the manager of my dealsership about the folding bulkhead on the SUT. He told me he just went to a HUMMER conference and saw that the bulkhead was still going to be on the production model. With production still a year+ away, who knows what'll be on the thing!

- Dan

[MAC]

GM pushing back plans to make Hummer H2 with pickup bed

By RICK KRANZ, Automotive News

MISHAWAKA, Ind. - General Motors has pushed back plans to offer a Hummer H2 with a pickup bed from 2003 to 2004.

The first model, the 2003 Hummer H2 SVT, goes on sale late this month. The second model, the H2 SUT, has a small pickup bed and a cargo door at the rear of the passenger cabin, GM's Midgate.

The original plan was to introduce both models within 12 months. But GM executives, led by product czar Robert Lutz, said they can maintain marketing buzz over a longer period by delaying the second model until 2004.

The Hummer H2 was engineered by GM and is being assembled by AM General Corp. here. The plant has the capacity to assemble 40,000 units a year. GM purchased the marketing rights to the Hummer name from AM General in 1999.

H2 SVT shipments begin the week of June 17, and dealers may sell the vehicles upon delivery. The base sticker is $48,800, including the destination charge.

By early July, Hummer estimates that up to 1,500 vehicles will be in dealer hands, giving each up to 10 vehicles. Hummer expects to have 150 dealers signed by July and is aiming for up to 225 dealers by 2005.

GM is targeting 15,000 Hummer H2 sales this calendar year and 27,000 next year.

This week, dealers will be briefed on Hummer's bonus program. Under the program, modeled after Cadillac's Standards of Excellence program, dealers will earn payments if they meet standards for sales, service, customer satisfaction, signs and new showrooms.

Steve Hill, Hummer's sales director, said, "A six-figure quarterly bonus is available" for meeting all the goals.

[Texas Red]

It would be good to include the date of the article (or any article for that matter). This sounds like it came out in July.

Jim
Red H2 in Texas

[Dan]

Yeah, this isn't really anything new...

[Zing]

Hey Dan, 2Q 2004 is now the official word....

Detroit - General Motors announced to its HUMMER dealers at the National Automotive Dealers Association conference that it will add a second bodystyle to the HUMMER H2 lineup, the sport utility truck (SUT) in 2004.

The SUT will in every way be a HUMMER. Like its brother the H2 SUV, the SUT will draw from its military heritage as the next evolution of the HUMMER brand. Derived from the H2 SUV, the SUT will be functional, versatile and almost endlessly reconfigurable, to exceed even the most demanding consumer's standards.

"We first introduced the H2 SUT as a concept vehicle in Times Square with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Mayor Rudy Giuliani during the 2001 New York Auto Show," said Mike DiGiovanni, HUMMER general manager. "Exceptional off-road capability and versatility in the SUT allows HUMMER owners the ultimate opportunity for adventure."

The SUT will blend the superior off-road capability HUMMER is known for and a versatile rear cargo bed with an adjustable bulkhead and no-nonsense interior. A distinctive feature will be its folding bulkhead at the rear of the passenger compartment that allows customers to have the flexibility to reconfigure this area for carrying people or cargo.

The H2 SUT will be built at AM General in Mishawaka, Indiana by the United Auto Workers Local 5, the oldest UAW local union in the country. The H2 SUT is expected to go on sale in the second quarter of 2004.

General Motors and AM General reached an agreement in December 1999, in which GM acquired exclusive ownership of the HUMMER brand name worldwide. To find out more about HUMMER, visit the web site at www.HUMMER.com.

[Dan]

Yup, that's what I've been preaching since November!

http://www.elcova.com/groupee/forums?a=tpc&s=2826088551&f=8326043161&m=986608696 1

- Dan

---------------------------------
SUT on order - 17 months to go!
---------------------------------

[MAC]

Feb. 10, 2003
Hummer to introduce H2 SUT pickup version in spring 2004
By DONNA HARRIS | Automotive News

Hummer dealers got the official word: Hummer will introduce the H2 SUT in spring 2004.

Dealers welcome the truck, a version of the H2 with a pickup bed. They say they are selling everything they have in stock and look forward to a broader product line.

"It's a great time to be a Hummer dealer," said Bob Cochrane, president of No. 1 Cochrane of Monroeville, Pa.

Dealers' only disappointment was that there were no photos available of the H3 at the meeting. Hummer is expected to produce the H3 - a smaller version of the H2 - after the H2 SUT.

Dealers were told it is too early for a sneak preview because there is no firm decision on the design.

Hummer estimates that its dealers have higher customer satisfaction than any other General Motors brand.

"CSI was phenomenal considering we are still in our launch phase," said Steve Hill, director of sales, marketing and dealer development for Hummer.

Hummer is watching customer satisfaction. Many dealers are in a state of flux because of the push to build stand-alone Hummer stores. But stipends of as much as $250,000 for meeting operating standards and dealership requirements are boosting customer satisfaction scores, Hill said.

All Hummer dealers have met the standards and are qualifying for the incentives, he said, and the building campaign is on schedule to accommodate Hummer's expanded model line.

[Zing]

Interesting that Hummer is paying dealers for high customer satisfaction. Now clear why that one guy's dealer is offering him free oil changes for submitting a good survey. Makes sense to complain to Hummer (or GM?) if you're not getting good service.

[brianfriend]

A high rated survey is almost as important as the sale itself. Th survey dictates the bonus level that a dealer receives. The purchase price of a vehicle is only a portion of the revenew that the dealer receives...the rest comes from the survey. Ever wonder how a dealer can sell a vehicle for invoice if there are no incentives? They wont usually do this but if they need the volume to hit a bonus level it can be a very good deal for you...and the survey can make or break them. Also, the survey information can be used to determine a dealers inventory for the following year, rates dealers within the line of vehicles and is submitted to J.D. Powers. One bad survey can cost a dealer $$$$$. And a good rating is not a good rating in the eyes of the manufacture. A rating has to be outstanding or excellent. $150 for a excellent rating is well worth the investment.

If it can break it can be fixed.