2024 GMC Hummer EV SUV Omega Edition Review: Just Plain Ridiculous

Rarely does a vehicle come along that polarizes people as much as the 2024 GMC Hummer EV. An unlikely combination of size, electric propulsion, and capability, the monster electric SUV is either exceptionally cool or a complete atrocity depending on one’s personal opinion. 

Earlier this year we took it off-road and were amazed. It’s ridiculous how easily the Hummer EV negotiates obstacles and conditions that would have most SUVs stopped in their tracks. But how does GMC’s super-sized SUV behave on the pavement? 

We would wager most of a Hummer EV’s life will be spent on smooth paved surfaces. So, to see if the all-electric SUV can handle suburban life, we grabbed a top-of-the-line 2024 GMC Hummer EV SUV Omega for a week of testing. 

What’s New for 2024: The SUV

The SUV joins the Hummer SUT (pickup truck) for the 2024 model year. Although most components are shared between the two, the Hummer EV SUV isn’t just an enclosed box grafted onto the pickup’s chassis. The SUV rides on a nine-inch shorter wheelbase, offering better maneuverability. 

Some new technologies debuting this year include the power station generator that allows the vehicle to not only power any household appliance, but it can even charge other electric vehicles at about the same speed as a level 2 charger. 

Trail mapping is another new feature, and GMC is celebrating the launch of the Hummer EV SUV with the Omega Edition, but we’ll cover that in more detail later in the review. 

Exterior Style: Presence is Present

With a shorter wheelbase, the 2024 GMC Hummer EV SUV comes in at a length of 206.7 inches (5,250 mm), which is less than many full-size SUVs. The Hummer looks larger than it is though, mostly due to its lane-filling 86.5-inch (2,196 mm) width. For reference, that’s wider than a 2024 GMC Sierra Heavy Duty pickup, and nearly 2 feet wider than a Mitsubishi Mirage.

The Omega edition comes finished in an exclusive Neptune Blue Matte paint, black badging, and the Extreme Off-Road package. The latter adds unique 18-inch wheels, 35-inch mud terrain tires, armor for the underbody, heavy-duty ball-spline half shafts, rock sliders on the side sills, GM’s UltraVision that includes a camera under the vehicle, and front and rear eLocker virtual differentials.

Powertrain and Range: Lots of One, Not the Other

Being the top dog of the vehicle’s trim lineup, the Omega comes with the triple motor set-up. Combined, they produce a total of 830 horsepower (hp). GMC claims there are 11,500 pound-feet (lb ft.) of torque, but that’s a bit misleading. The actual torque put down on the road is still impressive though, estimated to be between 1,100-1,400 lb ft. 

Using what GMC calls Watts to Freedom, which is essentially a launch control, the 2024 Hummer EV SUV Omega can rocket from 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds. That’s insanity for an off-roader this size and we think it could be faster. The limiting factor; is traction. 

We did a few launches on pavement and all four mud-terrain tires broke loose, howling in protest, trying to drag the Hummer in various directions. There is no sporty mode on the vehicle, so there’s no firming up of the softly sprung air suspension. During hard acceleration, it squats in the rear leaving the driver looking more at the sky than the horizon. 

There are fake motor sounds to add to the already visceral sensation of catapulting such a behemoth with organ-altering quickness. We’ve been in faster EVs, but none that felt like an ocean liner skipping across the tops of 20-foot swells. It’s not just standstill acceleration either. At any speed, even on the freeway, press the accelerator to the floor and the Hummer EV SUV squats down and scampers forward. 

Enabling such wild defiance of physics is a battery back with over 200 kWh of usable storage. It’s essentially two battery packs sandwiched on top of each other. It’s easily the largest battery we’ve ever come across. To help compensate for its size, the Hummer is capable of charging at speeds up to 300 kW. Those chargers aren’t all that common though and it took us an hour to get 55% of battery life back while charging at an average speed of 112 kW. Once fully juiced up, the Omega edition can travel 298 miles (480 km) on a single charge, which is a bit lower than a regular three-motor Hummer EV due to the off-road package. 

Handling and Drivability: Easy to Drive, Handle with Ease

Handling is what one should expect for an SUV weighing about 9,000 lbs (4,000 kg), running on four mud terrain tires. Yes, that weight is not a typo, that’s how heavily the EV really is. The 305/70R18 Goodyear Wrangler Territory MT tires do their best to hang on while cornering, but there’s only so much such a tire can do. The Hummer EV prefers tackling corners at a leisurely pace, especially when the adaptive air suspension is set to off-road mode. Even then, tighter turns on side streets can emit a faint squeal from the tires. 

Its lack of cornering capability makes up for its ease of use. The GMC Hummer EV is easy to drive with light controls and predictable behaviors. There is no lane wandering on the freeway like found in some other off-roaders and braking progression is smooth and linear. 

A real plus is the four-wheel steering that can maneuver around parking lots and residential roads better than many smaller mid-size SUVs. The width of the Hummer takes some getting used to though as does the massive, flat hood. Staying within narrower lanes can be a challenge and forget about automatic carwashes or a good chunk of drive-throughs.

Ride Quality and Comfort: What Bumps?

The upside to the soft suspension comes in the form of ride comfort. In normal mode, the air suspension and high sidewall tires absorb most cracks, potholes, and expansion joints. Rarely do occupants feel or hear a bump in the road. But they can definitely hear the mud terrain tires roaring along asphalt or concrete.

Upfront the driver and passenger get 12-way power leather seats that are heated and ventilated. The seats are mostly comfortable except for a rectangular hard plastic Hummer banner that runs across the upper portion of the front seats. We found it gouged into our back while driving. 

There’s plenty of space though, with 42.5-inches (1,079 mm) of front headroom, and 45.6-inches (1,157 mm) of legroom. The outboard rear seats are also heated, and passengers back there get a decent 38.4 inches (980 mm) of headroom and 39.0 inches (987 mm) of legroom.

The Hummer can haul up to 35.9 cubic feet (1,017 L) of cargo in the rear, which expands to 81.8 cu ft (2,316 L) with the rear seats folded. The swing-out door is power-operated which is a nice touch. The SUV also has a power operated front trunk, that when not housing the removable roof panels, can take an addition 11.3 cu ft (320 L) of gear. 

Interior Style and Quality: Feels Like a Hummer

Inside the Hummer EV SUV there are two large digital screens dominating the dashboard. In front of the driver is a 12.3-inch information screen, with a 13.4-inch infotainment system placed dead center. Two choices of interior color schemes are available, including the grey two-tone found in our tester.  

The interior is interesting with cool touches like the massive side air vents, contrasting dash materials, and large switch gear. Although it’s not the poshest of interiors, it doesn’t feel woefully out of place in a six-figure SUV. 

Tech and Safety: What’s Expected

The Hummer EV SUV is equipped with what should be expected at this price point and class. Some highlights include a surround-view monitor, a Bose 14-speaker sound system, an automatic parking assist, a power telescopic steering wheel, a wireless phone charger, and a heated steering wheel.

Safety-wise, the 2024 GMC Hummer EV SUV Omega includes adaptive cruise control, lane change assist, lane keep assist, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, forward collision alert, and teen driver to name a few. What teen will be given the keys to this rig we are not sure, but it’s nice to have the feature when needed. Another feature we’re happy is included in GM’s Super Cruise hands-free driving system. It’s still one of the best on the market. 

Value Dollars and Sense: Not for Everyone

Pricing for the three-motor 2024 GMC Hummer EV SUV starts at $106,945 (all prices include destination charges) in the United States or $146,398 in Canada. Our special Omega Edition ramps things up to $140,295 in the USA, or $184,788 in Canada. 

That’s either a hefty sum for a range-limited EV SUV or the price to pay for one of the most off-road capable SUVs from the factory that can also hit 60 mph from a standstill in an outrageously short timeframe. It’s all a matter of perspective.