Engine

• In 1996, AM General offered three engine choices for the Hummer H1. The company installed a 6.5-liter, fuel-injected 16-valve V-8 diesel engine as standard in all models. This engine had a bore of 4.06 inches and a stroke of 3.82 inches. It had a compression ratio of 21.5-to-1. The engine produced 170 horsepower at 3,400 rpm and 290 foot-pounds of torque at 1,700 rpm.
  
  AM General offered a turbocharged version of this diesel engine as an upgrade for the 1996 Hummer H1. This engine shared the same bore and stroke measurements, compression ratio and number of valves with the standard diesel. It produced 190 horsepower at 3,400 rpm and 385 foot-pounds of torque at 1,800 rpm.
  
  For buyers that wanted a gasoline engine, AM General offered a 5.7-liter, 16-valve V-8. This engine had a bore of 4.0 inches and a stroke of 3.48 inches. It generated 190 horsepower at 4,000 rpm and 300 foot-pounds of torque at 2,400 rpm.
  
  

Transmission

• AM General paired all engines available for the 1996 Hummer H1 to a four-speed automatic transmission. All 1996 H1 Hummers featured full-time four-wheel drive systems.
  
  

Fuel Economy

• The fuel economy of the 1996 Hummer depended on the type of engine installed. An H1 with the standard 6.5-liter diesel earned a combined 11.5 mpg. A Hummer with the 6.5-liter turbo-diesel rated a combined fuel economy of 10.6 mpg, while models equipped with the gasoline engine earned 8.5 mpg. AM General installed a 42-gallon fuel tank in all 1996 H1s.
  
  

Performance

• A 1996 Hummer H1 with the standard engine accelerated from 0 to 60 mph in 20.2 seconds. The turbo-diesel engine improved this to 14.5 seconds, which rated slightly faster than the 14.8 second time achieved by the 5.7-liter V-8 models. AM General installed a governor in all 1996 H1s, which limited the top speed to 83 mph. According to Edmunds, these vehicles could scale obstacles up to 22 inches in height, ascend a 60-percent grade slope and traverse water at depths up to 30 inches. The Hummers required a massive 53-foot turning radius, which, according to Edmunds, made them difficult to park or maneuver during city driving.
  
  

Dimensions

• All models of the 1996 H1 Hummer shared the same overall dimensions. Hummer H1s stretched 184.5 inches in length and had a 130-inch wheelbases. An H1 spanned a width of 86.5 inches, stood 75 inches in height and had a ground clearance of 16 inches. This vehicle's weight ranged from 6,150 pounds for the two-door models to 6,700 pounds for the Hummer H1 wagon. Two-door models only sat a driver and one passenger, while the four-door models offered room for four passengers. The 1996 Hummer H1 rode on size 37x12.50R 16.5 LT tires.