Hummer H3

HERE'S a car you don't see every day. HUMMER – a brand famously touted by Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 1990s. It arrived in the UK in September and I had a brief encounter with the UK's more urban-friendly version, the right-hand drive H3.

It may be a half-pint at less than 5m in length, but it's still a full-fat HUMMER with attitude by the boot load. It's not green and it doesn't care who knows it. However, there is a demand for this car because it is so unlike anything else you can buy in 'good ol' Blighty'.

Prices start at £26,495 for the basic yet well-specified H3. That's a heck of a lot of WOW for your money. And, although it conveys a durable hard exterior, on the inside it's luxurious, welcoming and anything but hard. It's spacious but not cold so it doesn't echo like the Grand Canyon. Like Harry Enfield's armadillo, it's 'soft on inside, crunchy on the outside'.

Despite the pillbox windows all round it's not dark and claustrophobic. You certainly feel safe inside. Darkened windows at the back give the car an air of 'celebrity on tour – you can't touch me', while for the driver, (best position in the whole car) visibility is superb and you want everyone to see you at the wheel.

I can't compare this car to anything else I've ever driven because it really is in its own league. The driving position is at a sensible level – probably the same as Chrysler Grand Voyager, yet the seat doesn't make you feel like you're sitting up to the dinner table, you can stretch your legs out a long way like in a saloon car. And I didn't need a stepladder to get in, it was as easy as sliding my bum across and, trust me, my bum is nearer to the ground than most! Everything is in easy reach, even for my short arms, and the dashboard layout and centre console is also like nothing I have ever seen.

It's very American, but before you turn to the next review… It's incredibly well screwed together and has a really nice quality feel to it. I'd probably even go so far as to say it's the most well screwed together wagon to come from the US – probably because this one's been created especially for us pernickety fusspots. It's rock solid without being put together with plastic from half the world's oil and the only true downside is the fact that it has a thirsty petrol engine (diesel and bio are on their way).

Off-road performance is as impressive as those HUMMER looks. Despite the cabin being squat, there's plenty of ground clearance and I drove the car through deep water, up very step hills and down even steeper hills. The low-ratio gearbox coped just as I'd expect a Hummer to cope – turning mountains into molehills. The entry level SE version, which I was driving, had the automatic transmission controlling the 3.7-litre all-aluminium 'smart engine' delivering 245ps and 328 Nm of torque.

An electronically controlled four-wheel drive system with an advanced traction control system (TCS) and lockable front and (optional) rear differentials are the underpinning of this super rock crawler. The TCS ensures that even with three wheels spinning, the H3 can still move up a 10 per cent incline.

On the urban trail and the drive train pulls this heavy lump along with ease. In fact, I found the H3 incredibly manoeuvrable, even reversing didn't feel like a huge chore. The drive was smooth thanks to the big chunky tyres, and it handled exceptionally well thanks to its lower-than-you-think centre of gravity. It even had an impressive turning circle – unusual for a four-wheel-drive wagon.

Standard equipment on the SE includes air conditioning, cruise control, radio/CD player with six-speaker audio system, electric windows all round, electric mirrors, remote keyless entry and, just in case you get lost, a compass. H3 is also available in Luxury and Adventure trim, which add more equipment and different interior styling, and comes in nine exterior and five interior colours.

In manual guise, you can expect to realise 20.4mpg. It has a top speed of 99 mph and sits in insurance group 18. That's high, but not as high as the emissions, which are a whopping 327g/km of CO2.

HUMMER H3 SE

3.7-litre petrol 4x4

Top speed: 99 mph

0-60 mph: 9.7 secs

Power: 245 PS

Torque: 242 lb ft

Combined: 20.4 mpg

CO2 emissions: 327 g/km

Price: £26,495