However impressive it might be on the road, the SUT is at its best off road. Going up and down 60% slopes, across 40% slopes, through water 20 inches deep or over 16 inch vertical walls is all grist for the mill for this powerful machine. The SUT may be classed as a pickup, but the truth is, it just isn’t like anything else.

Powered by a 6.2 liter V8 engine, the SUT generates 393 horsepower and can tow over 8,000 pounds. There is only one transmission available, a six-speed automatic with overdrive, tow/haul mode and tap up/down shifting.

It’s the pickup design that makes it all work. In its natural configuration, the bed is serviceable, but small. However, you can power the rear window all the way up to the front seats, giving a true pickup feel and providing a four-foot by six-foot bed.

You might think such a powerhouse would be all work and no play. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The SUT comes in three trim styles: the basic SUT, the Adventure and the Luxury. OnStar, Bluetooth, XM radio and navigation and rear seat DVD with remote are just a few of the goodies available. Of course, four-wheel drive goes without saying.

The SUT is built like a tank. Based on a combination of two GM truck frames, with special enhancements thrown in, the frame alone may be its best safety feature. However, it’s not the only one. There are airbags all around, a rollover sensor, single wheel traction control, electronic stability control, daytime running lights and even a dual-note, high low horn.

With all this going for it, can there be anything against it? Yes, there can. The SUT draws pretty much the same complaints as the H2. To start with, it’s expensive to buy and expensive to drive, with a base price of $59,395, up to almost $70,000 base price for the Luxury. And it gets about 10 mpg, which isn’t much even when you use flex fuels, which it can.

As safe as the SUT is, there is one knock- the windows. While they’re improved from the original H2’s windows, they’re still small. Beyond that, the very safety of the SUT can make it dangerous for other vehicles in a crash.

The SUT may make seem to make little sense with America’s current economy and fuel situation. But the truth remains that I would be a “flat, lyin’ cur dog” if I told you the 2009 Hummer H2 SUT was anything but fun in the driver’s seat.

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