The GMC Yukon Denali Wants An Id: Overview

The GMC Yukon occupies an odd area in GM’s massive SUV hierarchy. It’s primarily a higher-end model of the Chevrolet Tahoe, nevertheless it nonetheless slots effectively under the Cadillac Escalade. That’s a tricky spot to be in when the Tahoe has a smaller price ticket, and the Escalade sells on title alone. 

That positioning leaves a bizarre area of interest for the Yukon, which must do one thing to seize the client who’s trapped within the center, just like the automobile itself. With that in thoughts, we drove the top-end Denali Final mannequin to seek out out what precisely its deal is, and if it’s truly well worth the six-figure price ticket. 

The Yukon acquired a minor facelift for the 2025 model year, including bigger headlights and tailights that make the SUV look extra stately—in a hitman form of manner. That mentioned, the entrance and rear fascia are the one main variations between it and the Tahoe, and that’s a comparability that can come up a bit extra once we get to the inside. 

The Denali Final bundle provides its personal slight visible tweaks to the outside—greyscale badging, ‘Denali’ and ‘Final’ branding on the facet and rear, and particular 24-inch rims that additionally say ‘Denali’ on them, in case you have forgotten what trim to procure. 

Contained in the Yukon is the place this SUV hits its highest highs and lowest lows. For starters, there may be lots of stuff on this automobile. The Denali Final provides you nearly each non-compulsory further for each the driving force and rear seat passengers. 

Picture by: Zander Sutton | Motor1

Professionals: Easy Trip, Countless Storage Area, Loaded With Bells & Whistles

The entrance seats are heated and ventilated with therapeutic massage features, whereas the rear captains’ chairs are heated with non-compulsory air flow as effectively. There may be wi-fi charging up entrance and loads of USB-C ports across the second and third row. Talking of the second row, the wi-fi screens for rear passengers are nice, include a ton of apps, and have HDMI adaptability, which implies that we will reply “sure” to the query of “are you able to play Minecraft in it?”

The supplies are, sadly, a little bit of a letdown. Whereas the seats and dashboard put on plush leather-based with monogrammed ‘Denali Final’ badging, there may be an epidemic of piano black plastic on the middle console that, in lower than per week, was smudged. 

Pictures by: Zander Sutton | Motor1

Pictures by: Zander Sutton | Motor1

It isn’t simply the piano black; cheap-feeling plastics stay in numerous different locations the place they shouldn’t. Elements of the steering wheel, the rear of the middle console, even the meals felt platsicy regardless of it being supposedly actual.

It’s unlucky, as a result of there are many little touches like these aforementioned monogrammed seats and piped stitching that make this inside a extremely particular place in any other case. It’s simply ruined by the plain cost-cutting wanted to maintain this a step under the Escalade. 

Picture by: Zander Sutton | Motor1

Cons: V8 Is Thristy, Iffy Inside Supplies, Not Outlined Sufficient

Fortunately, on the tech facet, the Yukon is kind of on par with the Escalade. It has a behemoth 16.8-inch middle display that, regardless of taking on the entire middle stack, is comparatively straightforward to make use of and provides bodily controls for HVAC and quantity management, which is good. Wi-fi CarPlay remains to be supplied, which is good provided that Basic Motors has been threatening to kill it for months. 

Area is not any concern both, as each second and third row passengers have numerous it. Even within the non-XL variant, there may be little to complain about when you’re caught manner within the again. The third row seats may also be raised and lowered electronically, which, for a automobile constructed for households, is a pleasant contact. 

Regardless of the easy-to-use rear seats and ample tech, the Yukon’s inside is its weakest level. You possibly can inform that the Yukon remains to be a step under actual luxurious SUVs, and for somebody spending six figures—our check automobile got here in at $108,390—it won’t go away one of the best style in somebody’s mouth.

Pictures by: Zander Sutton | Motor1

Pictures by: Zander Sutton | Motor1

The GMC Yukon Denali is powered by both a 3.0-liter Duramax V6 diesel engine or, what we had, a 6.2-liter V8. This engine is a not-too-distant relative of the C8 Corvette’s V8, and it makes a good 355 horsepower and 383 pound-feet of torque. It additionally makes an important huge noise each time you begin it or put your foot down.

By no means is that this a “driver’s automobile,” even with non-compulsory carbon ceramic brakes; the Yukon just isn’t attempting to placed on a masks. That mentioned, the V8 is punchy and permits the huge SUV to get out of its personal manner, one thing you may’t say for the diesel. The journey is plush and will simply eat the New York to Baltimore route with little to no effort. Add within the very easy-to-use Tremendous Cruise self-driving system, and the Yukon is a mile-munching machine.

However—and right here’s the massive however—in an age of weird fuel costs, count on six-figure fill-ups. We spent $50 filling barely lower than half the tank, and even doing straight freeway driving, we don’t count on something greater than a low-20 miles per gallon common (GMC quotes as much as 26 mpg on the freeway). There’s additionally a multi-hundred-thousand-car recall on this engine from each this automobile and different massive Basic Motors SUVs due to it, so purchaser beware. 

GMC Yukon Verdict

Picture by: Zander Sutton | Motor1

The GMC Yukon nonetheless sits in an odd spot. It is not outlined sufficient. Whenever you look this automobile up on Wikipedia, it auto directs you to the Chevy Tahoe’s web page, and that claims rather a lot. It is a a lot nicer and extra refined SUV than it was two generations in the past, nevertheless it nonetheless hasn’t been in a position to develop the character that the Escalade has. 

It is a automobile for lengthy highway journeys. It’s objectively a pleasant automobile, and it’s what you purchase when everybody and every part must go wherever the driving force goes, and for that crowd, it really works. However we want that GMC had given the Yukon Denali Final extra room to unfold its wings and forge its personal id. 

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Supply: Zander Sutton | Motor1