The Mega Cruiser, with its oversized dimensions and rear-wheel steering, holds its own against AM General’s SUV, the Hummer. Both vehicles share similar features, such as an engine mounted farther back in the chassis, portal axles for increased ground clearance, an onboard tire inflation/deflation system, and full-time all-wheel drive.

To achieve its impressive ground clearance, the Mega Cruiser elevates its drivetrain, resulting in a substantial transmission tunnel that divides the passengers. Unlike the Hummer, the Mega Cruiser’s transmission hump ends before the rear seat, allowing for a spacious four-across bench seat.

Beneath the Mega Cruiser’s expansive hood, we discover an interesting engine choice: a 4.1-liter four-cylinder turbocharged diesel. While the engine’s displacement is relatively large for a four-cylinder, it still falls short in terms of power for such a massive and heavy vehicle. With a horsepower rating of 153 and a torque rating of 282 pound-feet, it is understandably underpowered.

Just how underpowered is it? According to a test conducted by Road & Track, the Mega Cruiser took a whopping 20.6 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 60 MPH. In a recent altitude test in the Colorado Rockies, a Mega Cruiser struggled to even reach 60 MPH, maxing out at 50 MPH with the throttle wide open.

On the bright side, the compact diesel engine managed to achieve a combined city/highway fuel economy of 13 MPG, which, considering the size and weight of the vehicle, is not terrible. However, it doesn’t quite reach the fuel efficiency levels of a Prius, as stated by Slashgear.

[Featured image by Hunini via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY-SA 4.0]