GM’s Hummer line was sold over five-years ago, leaving a hole in the GM lineup. Photo from en.wikinoticia.com

A recent article published in Automotive News questioned General Motor’s lack of a substantial off-road vehicle after the company phased out the Hummer line five-years ago. The article pointed out that Chevrolet dealerships had lost some customers after the Hummer’s departure from the brand’s lineup. Many dealerships added a Jeep franchise to meet the needs of their previous Hummer customers.

According to a dealer that was interviewed in the article, the addition of the Jeep franchise to the exiting 34 dealerships in seven states brought back many of the erstwhile Hummer customers to fill their tastes. Jeep currently has that niche market all to themselves.

GMC has hinted that their future lineup could have a “hummer-like” vehicle. Photo from www.conceptcarz.com

Astutely pointing out that cheaper gasoline prices have brought about a booming trend in sales of pricey SUVs which has left former Hummer dealers and loyal brand customers wondering where their off-road bowtie vehicle is. This has sparked several online debates over whether GM should purchase the Jeep Wrangler brand.

GMC is not immune to stirring the pot when it comes to new product lines. GMC chief Duncan Aldred recently told Edmunds.com that an “active all-road, Wrangler-esque type of vehicle” could be a possibility for GMC’s future lineup.

The point of Automotive News’ article was that the Jeep sales have doubled since 2009 and have already broken the brand’s exiting sales records this year, which has left many of the former Hummer dealers bemoaning the loss of the loyal customers over the recent years. There is little doubt that GM gave up substantial territory when it let the Hummer line go. The question now is what will General Motors do to fill that void.