Here’s a recap – with some additional photos – on the GMC Sierra All Terrain HD Concept, which will make its debut at the 2011 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. It’s shorter, wider and taller than the standard GMC Sierra pickup truck it is based on.

An “extreme truck” not unlike the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor, the Sierra AT HD Concept is fortified with heavy-duty hardware such as Fox off-road shocks, custom control arms, all round jounce shocks, automatic locking differentials and a front stabiliser bar with electric disconnection. It wears 35-inch BFGoodrich KM2 tyres that wrap 20-inch aluminum wheels.

It looks like a beast, and has the heart to match. Under that double vented hood lies a Duramax 6.6-litre V8 diesel producing 397 hp and 1,037 Nm of torque. Payload capacity is estimated at 1,225 kg (2,700 pounds) while towing capacity is rated at 5,896 kg or 13,000 pounds.

Gallery after the jump. Chevrolet Captiva owners, does the steering wheel look familiar?
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GMC has come up with the Sierra All Terrain HD Concept, essentially an exploration of how you can get a heavy-duty truck to become a stylish off-road mule. The rugged 4WD beast, which will debut in Detroit next month, sits on a 2011 Sierra HD chassis, and features a production 6.6 litre Duramax V8 turbodiesel pot offering 397 hp at 3,000 rpm and 1,037Nm of torque at 1,600 rpm, mated to an Allison 1000 six-speed automatic transmission powertrain.

Elsewhere, things have been reworked – the vehicle gets increased ground clearance by 3 inches and a wider track, as well as greater approach and departure angles. Additional off-road elements custom front upper and lower control arms, specially constructed Fox off-road shocks with remote fluid reservoirs integrated in the wheel house liners to prodvide additional compression damping and more controlled rebound, front and rear jounce shocks, electronic front stabiliser bar disconnection and 35-inch-tall BFGoodrich KM2 mud terrain tyres mounted on 20-inch machined aluminium wheels.

A full composite underbody protection system shields the vehicle’s transmission, drivetrain, fuel tank, exhaust system and axle differentials. It starts with the front bumper, which rolls beneath the truck and leads to a composite, integral belly pan that covers a front suspension skid plate. Protective covers are also mounted beneath the driveline components, while the front and rear differentials feature direct-mounted skid plates.

Exterior-wise, there’s plenty of high-intensity LED lighting on this concept – the suitably-equipped headlamps, tail lamps and fog lamp lighting is mounted in impact-resistant composite housings and features edge-lit illumination, and there’s also LED floodlights for the cargo bed and assist steps.

Speaking of the rear, the cargo box features lockable, lighted storage compartments, and a composite bed liner with a unique “circuit board” pattern provides a protective cover for the bed. The cargo bed – as well as the cab – features motorised, deployable assist steps to make it easier to enter and exit the vehicle.

Inside the Iridium Metallic-finished truck, two-tone dark gray leather seats, matched with embossed carbon fibre-style leather on the seating surfaces and red contrast stitching, are joined by a mix of accent details such as stainless steel mesh and satin chrome.

Gallery after the jump.
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Hummer has facelifted its Hummer H2 truck for this year. Exterior changes include larger slots in the front 7-slot grille as well as the lower bumper grille for extra cooling for the new more powerful V8 engine, and on the interior you get a redesigned dashboard and a new option for a third row, which increases seating capacity to 7 people.

The new L92 Vortec engine is a lighter and more powerful 6.2 litre V8 engine producing 393 PS at 5,700rpm and 574Nm of torque at 4,300rpm. This is mated to GM’s Hydra-Matic 6L80 6-speed automatic with dual overdrives (0.85:1 and 0.66:1). The driver is able to swap through the six cogs manually via steering wheel buttons. 0 to 100km/h takes 7.8 seconds.

Other enhancements in the engine bay include a better cooling system, an electric cooling fan, regulated voltage control, a new data transfer architecture, and a new 3.73:1 rear axle ratio. With the increased power, towing capacity of the Hummer H2 also increases from 2,954kg to 3,727kg. The Hummer H2 itself weighs 3,000kg, and has a 121 litre fuel tank – that’s slightly over RM232 to fill it up at RM1.92 per litre prices.

View more photos of the facelifted Hummer H2 after the jump.
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The first E85-capable Hummer will be the 2009 Hummer H2 truck and H2 SUT pick-up truck, with GM also planning to offer more than 15 FlexFuel models for the 2009 model year (including the recently unveiled Hummer H3T and H3). As for Hummer, it has committed to offer biofuel options on all its vehicles by 2010.

The problem with E85 Hummers in its native market of the USA is that less than 1% of fuel stations nationwide offer E85. GM wants to get around this by selling the E85 fuel at the dealer. Yup, you buy your car from a dealer, then you go back to the dealer to fill up.

Classic Chevrolet-Hummer in Grapevine, Texas has spent about half a million US dollars to install nine pumps dedicated to E85, E10 and biodiesel. The biofuel station is called Classic Clean Fuels and is located next to the dealer’s Hummer store.

General Motors vice president of R&D and Strategic Planning Larry Burns says in the future GM could also look into hydrogen fueling stations at dealers.

Related Links:
2009 Hummer H3T to be unveiled at Chicago 2008
Hummer H3T Video
The Malaysian Insider: Green fuel may not be so green after all

The new 2009 Hummer H3T will be unveiled to the public at the 2008 Chicago Auto Show, but product photos have already been released on the internet. The H3T is essentially a pickup truck version of the Hummer H3, based on the H3/Chevy Colorado chassis but has its wheelbase stretched by 86mm to allow for a pickup bed and maintain good cabin space at the same time.

There are a few engine options – a Vortec 3.7 litre inline-5 making 245 horsepower at 5,600rpm and 328Nm at 4,600rpm or a 5.3 litre V8 putting out 304 horsepower and 433Nm of torque. Both engine options are fitted with 4-speed autos, while the inline-5 is also available with a 5-speed manual.

More photos after the jump.
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