Be it love or hate, Hummer has a way of eliciting passionate emotions. During my week behind the wheel of the newest offering from the AM General and General Motors partnership I was envied by some, scorned by others. Scorned, I’m sure, for consuming an inappropriate amount of earth’s most valuable resource, gasoline.

If your driving objective is to simply get from point A to point B unnoticed, read no further. The newest addition to the Hummer lineup, the H2 SUT (for Sport Utility Truck) turned heads everywhere. I’m sure it was a major disappointment for those hoping to get a glimpse of a pro athlete or rock star, only to see my unrecognizable mug behind the wheel.

Originally built as a military vehicle and playing a prominent role in the Gulf War back in 1992, the Hummer was known as Humvee, a versatile go-anywhere vehicle. Recognizing the incredible popularity of the upscale SUV market, GM negotiated to build a civilian version and rolled out the H2 in 2003.

The H2 was greeted with polarizing reviews and sharply divided opinions. The environmentalists assailed it as a gas-guzzling emission polluting behemoth. Conversely, rock stars, athletes, the rich, the famous and celebrities like Arnold Schwarzenegger beat a path to the dealer’s doors.

The demand and waiting lists have since disappeared, and to shore up sagging sales numbers GM introduced the H2 SUT. Essentially, it is the H2 with a quarter of the rear roof chopped off in favor of a tiny (22 cubic feet) pickup bed. The SUT features the innovative GM Midgate system from the Chevrolet Avalanche and Cadillac EXT pickups.

Simply flip the rear seats forward, flip a switch that simultaneously powers down all the windows and the Midgate can be easily folded down to open up the cargo space, and you can haul items up to eight feet in length. The cargo bed has drain holes and can be hosed out for quick clean ups. The spare tire is mounted on the tailgate to a carrier that swings out and away.

The pickup bed can be left open or covered with the $950 locking hard tonneau cover, capable of supporting up to 250 pounds should you care to sit or stand on it. Five passengers fit comfortably in the wide leather seats, six in a pinch. Rear seat headroom is limited because of a lower headliner to accommodate the giant standard power sunroof.

The dash is big and bodacious with too much plastic, but otherwise fits with its rugged good looks. Other standard features include power heated/folding side mirrors, 8-way power, heated front and rear seats, dual-zone front HVAC controls, rear seat audio controls, AM/FM/CD/Cassette stereo with Bose® premium speakers. Our tester came with the $3,740 optional Lux package which included the chrome appearance package, chromed exterior door handles and mirror caps, 17” chrome wheels, XM Satellite radio and chrome tubular assist steps. It also came with the air suspension package ($1,275), and chrome brush guard ($850).

All H2s are powered by a 6.0-liter 325-horsepower V-8 mated to a heavy-duty four-speed automatic transmission. No other engine or transmission options are available. While the H2 SUT comes in only one body style there are two major packages available, Adventure and Lux. Stand-alone options include a newly available touch-screen navigation system.

As expected, the H2 has incredible off road capabilities. It is capable of driving up a 16-inch vertical wall and can traverse through 20 inches of water, just in case you’re tempted to drive through a monsoon-flooded wash. The H2 can easily climb a 60-degree grade and negotiate a 40-degree side slope angle unaided.

Not having enough power will never be an issue. On the other hand, having enough fuel could be. I averaged just over 11 mpg in a combination of city, highway and some off-road driving. Without question, the H2 is a world-class gas-guzzler. Thankfully (?) the gas tank holds 32 gallons of fuel. The government doesn’t require a vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of 8,500 pounds or more to list city-highway mileage rating.

My biggest surprise with the H2 was not the off-road capabilities, rather the on-road comfort and ride. The ride is as comfortable and pleasing as the Cadillac Escalade, Infiniti QX 56 or Lincoln Navigator.

Driving the H2 does take some getting used to. Excluding the mirrors, it’s more than 81 inches wide and 81 inches high, and weighs 6,400 lbs. I always felt as though I was completely filling my driving lane with no room to spare on either side. Another pleasant surprise was the relative tight cornering capabilities, and the ability to maneuver in and out of tight quarters.

The H2 comes standard with ABS, traction control and all-wheel drive. Dual front airbags and four-wheel disc brakes with ABS are standard. It has not been crash tested by the IIHS or NHTSA as of this writing.

Driving a Hummer can give you a feeling of driving superiority just because of its ample size, and has the effect of causing anxiety to occupants of smaller vehicles. Hummer foes object to the high bumper and vehicle stance, and its massive size — a legitimate beef.

While the SUT was extremely enjoyable to drive for the week, it isn’t a vehicle I would want as my daily driver. It’s too much vehicle for back and forth to work but no doubt perfect for the fashionable shopping stops in north Scottsdale.

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