Hummer H2 To Die By 2011, Take Cheap Gas With It

The Auto Insider — UPDATE: Looks like FUH2 has a little bit more life left in it — we've now determined the Hummer H2 will die in 2014. Sorry for the inconvenience and thanks for not reversing the charges. The Hummer haters at FUH2 will get their wish faster than they'd ever hoped. It seems the death knell of the Hummer H2 has been sound. Yes, that's correct, we've just received word a decision came down within the last few weeks at the General to end production of the H2. But if you've been holding off on buying that H2 with the 28 inch DUBs and sound system with enough power to make you sterile, don't freak out just yet. Instead of getting the axe right away, we believe the H2 will be allowed to live out its current product life cycle. This probably means the 2011 model year will be the H2's swan song. Full death-filled conclusion to every environmentalist's favorite target after the jump.

While we can think of a few reasons for the demise of the Hummer H2, one reason is greater than the rest — CAFE. Up until recently, the H2 had been exempt from Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards due to it's gross vehicle weight rating. Vehicles above a 8,500 lb. GVW rating did not have to comply with CAFE. The H2's GVW came in at a convenient 8,600 lbs. Just hulking enough to miss the Federal fuel economy misers. However, with the new standards passed by Congress at the end of 2007, the H2 would fall under the CAFE umbrella by 2011. No official fuel economy number have ever been released on the H2, but most reviewers have observed an average somewhere between 12 MPG and 9 MPG. That means continued production of the H2 would've taken a huge, wet, 87-octane bite out of GM's CAFE pie that no number of Aveos sold could fill.

Past its fuel economy woes — or likely because of them — the H2 wasn't exactly flying off dealer lots as of late. Only 12,431 people decided they couldn't live without an H2 in 2007, a sales figure 27.3% lower than the heady, fuel-friendly days of 2006.

The H2 was also the only vehicle left still being built on the General's ol' and busted GMT-800 chassis. With all the other large GM SUVs and trucks now on the newer GMT-900 chassis, the idea of spending money on the older platform may have quickly fallen out of favor with "Slick" Rick Wagoner and "Maximum" Bob Lutz.