Oversized American SUV on the way to Australia
With a name like Yukon Denali, this imposing American SUV suggests it’s born for the wide-open spaces, but not necessarily tight Aussie car parks.
Critics of full-size American pickups might want to brace themselves as there’s something even bigger and bolder heading our way in the form of the GMC Yukon Denali SUV.
Looking like something straight out of central casting for a presidential convoy, the Yukon will be the biggest and baddest family freighter on our roads when it lands in GMSV (General Motors Special Vehicles) showrooms in Q2 2025.
RACQ recently had a brief turn at the wheel of a left-hand drive Yukon on a restricted course at Melbourne’s Sandown raceway.
The drive told us little other than the fact the big SUV is impressively well equipped in the high-grade Denali trim level that will be offered here, and that it’s surprisingly manoeuvrable for something measuring more than 5.3m long and weighing 2.6 tonnes.
That said, we didn’t have to try and squeeze the Yukon Denali into a regular shopping centre car park, so we might reserve judgement on that for now.
The presence of up to 13 different camera views – including surround view, front and rear views, top-down views and a tow hitch view – will certainly help in this regard.
Towing will no doubt be a big part of the Yukon’s appeal, although an official tow rating hasn’t yet been released.
The Yukon is well equipped for towing, however, based as it is on the Chevy Silverado body-on-frame architecture, with the addition of independent rear suspension and air suspension in top-spec Denali trim.
The Yukon is unlikely to match the Silverado’s 4,500kg braked towing capacity despite being powered by the same 313kW/642Nm 6.2-litre petrol V8, but should out-gun the 3,500kg rating of local heavyweight wagons like the LandCruiser 300 Series and Nissan patrol.
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Also like the Silverado, the Yukon will be remanufactured from left to right-hand drive by Walkinshaw Automotive, which also handles the conversion of RAM pickups and the recently confirmed Toyota Tundra.
GMSV representatives at the reveal event were eager to point out that some of the interior components of the only right-hand drive variant on display weren’t final production quality.
An impressively large 16.8-inch diagonal tablet-style infotainment screen holds pride of place in the interior, displaying the various camera views, vehicle settings, drive modes and connection for wired Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto.
A set of walkie-talkies might be a handy addition for parents, since passengers in the third row of seats seem a long way aft of the front pews.
The back seats can be folded electrically via switches in the luggage area and with both second and third rows folded flat, the Yukon offers a cavernous 3,480-litres of cargo volume.
Other standard features of the luxurious Denali trim include Magnetic Ride Control dampers, 22-inch alloy wheels, heated and ventilated front seats, heated steering wheel, air suspension, and rear cabin touchscreens.
The V8’s stump-pulling grunt is channelled through a 10-speed automatic transmission to the Yukon’s rear hoops, with on-demand part-time and full-time four-wheel drive, plus a low-range transfer case for off-road driving.
GMSV says real-world testing of the Yukon Denali is continuing with a fleet of engineering vehicles conducting local testing and validation ahead of the Q2 2025 on-sale date.
Pricing for the new model is anticipated to be released later this year, with industry insiders suggesting a price point of around $145,000 mark.
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