2025 GMC Yukon Denali review

West Australian

12-05-2025

There's a flood of new auto brands entering the Australian market at the moment and almost all of them are Chinese. Those that aren't belong to American giant General Motors.
Luxury brand Cadillac recently started local deliveries of its electric
Lyriq
, as it establishes itself here as an electric-only alternative to the likes of BMW and Mercedes-Benz and being offered through a new retail network.
Now, joining Chevrolet products in the existing GM Specialty Vehicles network is GMC, with its first product being the
GMC Yukon Denali
, recently treated to a significant facelift.
Thus far, GM Australia and New Zealand hasn't confirmed any other GMC products for our market, and we'd be surprised if any more eventuated. See, GM in Australia is now pursuing only niche, more premium-priced products, and GMC's product range is produced only in left-hand drive.
That leaves the Yukon Denali having to be remanufactured in right-hand drive in Victoria by Walkinshaw subsidiary Premoso, joining the
Chevrolet Silverado 1500
and
Silverado HD
that also see their steering wheels swap sides in Melbourne.
GM says it used 10 Yukons for local development work, driving upwards of 100,000km – including a 14,000km round trip around Australia – and evaluating everything from the strength of the firewall to the effectiveness of the SUV's wipers.
'But wait,' you may be thinking, 'Just what is GMC?'
For many decades, GMC was little more than another badge Chevrolet pickups and SUVs were sold under. GM would swap the gold bowtie for a red three-letter badge, call the vehicles 'Professional Grade', and then sell them alongside Buicks and Pontiacs.
In 1992 it debuted the Yukon name on its version of the Chevrolet Tahoe, and in 1999 this gained a posh version called the Denali, named for the Alaskan mountain (Yukon, by the way, is a Canadian territory that shares its border with Alaska). Eventually, GMC rolled out Denali versions of almost all its models.
In the early 2000s, GMC also started giving its vehicles unique sheetmetal, and there has continued to be even greater differentiation – at least visually – between GMC and Chevrolet models.
Sure, in North America you can get fancy High Country versions of the related Chevrolet Tahoe and its stretched Suburban sibling, but in terms of positioning the GMC Yukon Denali (and longer Yukon XL Denali, not coming here) sits somewhere in between those and the Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV.
These Chevrolet, GMC and Cadillac SUVs all share the T1 platform that also underpins GM's full-sized combustion-powered pickup trucks, the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra.
This means a body-on-frame platform like the
Nissan Patrol
and
Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series
, though the Yukon Denali is priced well aloft of those. It sits smack-bang in the middle of the
Lexus LX
range price-wise.
The Yukon Denali isn't cheap, then, though it's not the most expensive vehicle sold through GMSV showrooms either.
Australians get the Yukon Denali with almost all its factory options offered in North America, though GMC recently introduced a Denali Ultimate with a few more goodies.
Despite its lofty price, the Yukon Denali is still cheaper than a comparably equipped Cadillac Escalade would be if it were sold here.
The most affordable Escalade 4WD in the US with air suspension and Magnetic Ride Control costs over US$108,000 (~A$168,000), or around US$20k (~A$31,000) more than the most affordable Yukon Denali 4WD with these features.
To see how the GMC Yukon lines up against the competition, check out our
comparison tool
Opening the door sees the power running boards deploy, making it easy to step up into the cabin.
The driver gets an A-pillar grab handle, though the front passenger misses out – one of the few RHD conversion quirks present in the Yukon.
Everything feels pretty solidly screwed together, and any gripes we have with materials are probably best levelled at GMC rather than the conversion crew at Premoso.
See, the Yukon interior has a thoroughly modern, attractive design, but look closer and start poking and prodding and some deficiencies become apparent.
The dash top with its pronounced, elephant-like graining and prominent stitching? It's rock hard. That A-pillar grab handle? It's entirely hard plastic and has a sharp seam. We don't expect soft-touch trim around the cargo area and third row, but the plastic used here in the Yukon reminds me of my family's Holden Equinoxes.
There are also a lot of different textures and grains to the plastic and upholstery up front, betraying a lack of sophistication. The storage compartment atop the dashboard is lined, but it has a flimsy lid.
It's a shame as GMC has nailed the overall design. The charred wood trim is distinctive, the piano black is used relatively sparingly and to elegant effect, and there's soft-touch trim where you really want it (the centre console sides, the door tops).
Sadly, we miss out on the Teak and Light Shale interior offered in North America, which gives the interior more of an upmarket vibe. But through the use of brightwork and wood trim, the black-on-black cabin avoids looking funereal.
The infotainment touchscreen is huge and has attractive graphics and a logical interface. You also have rocker switches underneath for functions like the climate control, though these could feel more substantial.
The digital instrument cluster, too, has attractive graphics and information is presented clearly and legibly. There are also a handful of selectable themes, and the display is shrouded in black trim which gives it somewhat of a floating appearance.
There's a helpful head-up display, but there's one thing missing from this cabin: satellite navigation.
You may be thinking, 'That's fine, I just use Android Auto and Apple CarPlay anyway.' And as expected, the Yukon has both of these, and with wireless connectivity to boot.
But you'll need to download offline maps if you're venturing anywhere without mobile reception, and while GM executives have said these blackspots are disappearing, we lost phone service immediately after leaving Canberra.
GM says it's working on introducing satellite navigation to vehicles Down Under that don't currently offer it, as well as a suite of connected services.
The front seats are comfortable and feature heating and ventilation, though we miss out on the massaging function of the Denali Ultimate offered overseas.
While the seats aren't aggressively bolstered, you won't find yourself rolling around too much in corners like you're in some 1970s land yacht.
Step into the second row and you'll find a pair of 12.6-inch displays on the front seatbacks, allowing you to view speed and trip information – though, of course, no maps – as well as connect a pair of wireless headphones and plug into one of the two HDMI ports and watch something.
Second-row occupants also get heated outboard seats, climate controls, a pair of USB-C outlets, map pockets, a pair of cupholders in the centre console, and another two cupholders in a fold-down centre armrest.
The second-row bench helpfully tumbles forward in two parts, and getting back to the third row is about as easy as in the Yukon's Japanese rivals.
Clambering back there, I found at 180cm tall I had quite a good amount of headroom and knee room even with the second-row bench back as far as possible. Toe room was a bit constricted, however you can slide the second-row seats forward to free up a bit more room.
Third-row occupants get roof-mounted air vents, plus a USB-C outlet and a pair of cupholders on each side. Crucially, the curtain airbags also extend back here.
If you're installing child seats, you'll find top-tether points for all second-row and both outboard third-row seating positions, as well as ISOFIX anchors for the outboard second-row seats. There are no ISOFIX points for the third row.
GM ANZ doesn't quote boot space with all three rows up; a conversion of US-market numbers yields a figure of 722L behind the third row. Dropping the second and third rows, which can be done using switches in the cargo bay, nets you a total of 3480L of cargo space.
You'll be able to fit a large suitcase back here, but the Yukon doesn't have the sheer cargo capacity of its longer Yukon XL sibling offered overseas.
To see how the GMC Yukon lines up against the competition, check out our
comparison tool
The GMC Yukon is launching here with a single powertrain: a naturally aspirated 6.2-litre petrol V8 mated with a 10-speed automatic transmission and a four-wheel drive system.
It's a shame we miss out on the 3.0-litre turbo-diesel inline six offered in the US, which produces 227kW of power and a stout 671Nm of torque. In the US, the 6.2-litre is rated at a combined 14.7L/100km while the diesel is rated at 10.7L/100km.
GM ANZ, however, says the 6.2-litre gives the Yukon Denali a point of differentiation locally, and cites positive feedback from owners of Silverados with the same mill.
Notably, GM has made key changes for 2025 to help it avoid mechanical issues that led to a global recall of vehicles equipped with the engine.
The GMC Yukon has a braked towing capacity of 3628kg, more than the 3500kg figures of the LX, Patrol and LandCruiser, with a maximum tow ball weight of 363kg. This is provided you use a 70mm weight-distributing hitch kit with a 70mm towbar tongue and ball.
With a 50mm tongue and ball these figures drop to 3500kg and 350kg respectively, while without a weight-distributing hitch you can only tow 2720kg with a maximum tow all weight of 272kg.
Across a 200km drive from Canberra to Bawley Point on New South Wales' South Coast, we averaged 13.6L/100km. From here to Sydney Airport, around 260km, we averaged 11.7L/100km.
The official combined cycle claim is 12.8L/100km. Our brief 13km towing loop saw fuel consumption of 21.9L/100km. The Yukon Denali features automatic stop/start technology.
To see how the GMC Yukon lines up against the competition, check out our
comparison tool
The Yukon Denali has that beefy, substantial feeling you get in a Chevrolet Silverado, but with greater refinement.
The first leg of our drive took us across an extensive stretch of unsealed roads. These roads mightn't have been littered with potholes, but they helped demonstrate one thing: a body-on-frame vehicle riding on enormous 24-inch wheels can actually be made to ride well.
Aiding the Yukon in delivering a plush ride is its combination of adaptive air suspension and GM's Magnetic Ride Control, the latter first introduced over 20 years ago.
It's not that GM's other body-on-frame vehicles like the Silverado ride unpleasantly – on the contrary – but the Yukon's ride is exceptionally supple.
There are variable rate air springs at all four corners, with automatic load-levelling. You can adjust the stiffness of the suspension, and you can also drop the car to make it easier to get in and out of.
The Yukon automatically lowers by 50mm when entering and exiting the vehicle, automatically raising when you exceed 8km/h. There's also an aerodynamic ride height that sees the Yukon drop by 20mm – provided you're not towing and don't have the tow/haul mode selected – when you exceed 105km/h for a period of time, returning to the default height when you drop below 48km/h.
At speeds below 80km/h or when off-road or terrain modes are selected, you can also increase the ride height by 25mm.
As for Magnetic Ride Control, this is an electronic valving system in the shock absorbers using magnetorheological fluid that helps to vary the stiffness based on road conditions. The technology debuted in the 2002 Cadillac Seville, and has been used by other brands such as Ferrari and Ford.
Mind you, a Silverado does without all this tech and offers a soft, cushy ride, but you don't get the adjustability that you get in a Yukon.
You'll feel the ride become firmer in Sport mode – if with still a little float and body roll in corners – though we wish there was a custom drive mode so you could, say, have firmer damping without the transmission holding gears for longer as it does in Sport mode.
Drive mode selection is also a bit odd. It's achieved through a button/knob combination buried over to the right-hand side of the steering wheel; you twist to change the drive mode, but you push a button on it to adjust the suspension.
Regardless of drive mode, though, the Yukon feels surprisingly tied-down for a full-size American SUV. Despite this, you get heavy steering reminiscent of a Silverado's unit so the full-size SUV does feel its size, particularly in close quarters.
While the Yukon shares its powertrain with Silverado 1500s sold here, the big V8 sounds different. GMC appears to have used more sound deadening, so while you can still hear the sonorous bent-eight when you mash the pedal, it doesn't have the persistent roar it has in the Chevy.
The V8 doesn't rock you back in your seat when you accelerate, but the Yukon gathers pace quickly and effortlessly. It's aided by a 10-speed automatic transmission that shifts smoothly, almost imperceptibly.
The muted engine note and the smooth, powerful V8/auto combo means you can find yourself speeding far too easily.
There are paddle shifters but they scarcely seem necessary, and oddly you have to press a button on the steering wheel to activate them.
Such a V8 engine seems ideal for towing, and we got to put that to the test by hooking up a 2.3-tonne horse float.
Our towing loop was only short and didn't include any high-speed driving, but the Yukon stayed nice and level with the trailer hooked up, while Tow/Haul mode saw the transmission hold onto gears for longer.
We also had to brake suddenly from around 50km/h for an errant kangaroo and braking performance was decent, though there's not a great deal of brake pedal feel.
We didn't get to take the Yukon off-road, but it features a two-speed transfer case and selectable low-range gearing, while the ability to raise the vehicle's air suspension should help it in the rough stuff. That is, if you want to take your chrome-laden $175k SUV off-roading…
Back on the road, highway driving is made easier with adaptive cruise control and lane-keep assist. However, we don't get Super Cruise like in Yukon Denalis in North America, which combines adaptive cruise and lane centring and supports hands-free driving on myriad roads.
We do get GM's Safety Alert seat, which vibrates the seat to warn you of danger – for example, if you're about to reverse into an approaching vehicle. Many find this to be a weird sensation, but in my view it's superior to audible chimes that serve only to alarm all your passengers.
To see how the GMC Yukon lines up against the competition, check out our
comparison tool
Apart from some missing items like satellite navigation, the Australian-market Yukon Denali comes with more standard equipment than the US-market one with GM ANZ ticking a raft of option boxes.
2025 GMC Yukon Denali equipment highlights:
GMSV will offer a range of 25 accessories, including puddle lights and illuminated badges.
The local Yukon Denali misses out on features exclusive to the Denali Ultimate overseas, such as night vision, massaging front seats and 18- or 22-speaker Bose sound systems.
The GMC Yukon hasn't been tested by ANCAP. Given it won't be sold in Europe, there's no Euro NCAP score that we'll be able to rely on should ANCAP not test it.
There's no score for the Yukon from the US Insurance Institute of Highway Safety either, though the related Chevrolet Tahoe missed out on Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+ statuses.
Standard safety equipment includes:
There's no front-centre airbag to stop the two front-seat occupants from colliding into each other in a crash.
To see how the GMC Yukon lines up against the competition, check out our
comparison tool
The GMC Yukon Denali is backed by a three-year warranty, an offering that looks decidedly retro in 2025 when even most luxury brands offer five years of coverage.
GM says it has no plans at this stage to expand its warranty offering or introduce capped-price servicing.
To see how the GMC Yukon lines up against the competition, check out our
comparison tool
Last time GM tried to bring a full-size American SUV here, it chose to bring the Chevrolet Suburban – wearing Holden badges – as a rival for the Nissan Patrol and Toyota LandCruiser. But it was too large, and by most accounts too vague, floaty and cheaply finished.
This time around, GM is aiming higher by bringing the GMC Yukon Denali. It has chosen the more 'sensible' of its two sizes of full-size SUV, which still gives it a comfortable third row, but it has opted to take on high-end SUVs this time.
Dynamically, the Yukon Denali is an impressive affair with the smooth, torquey V8 performance you expect, but also a plush ride and the adjustability that comes with air suspension.
It's a satisfying vehicle to drive, being refined and powerful, and it boasts class-leading towing capability as well as a spacious eight-seat interior. Toyota and Lexus don't make their fanciest LandCruiser and LX grades with even a seven-seat configuration, let alone eight.
While GM name-checked the likes of the LandCruiser, LX and Land Rover Defender at the Yukon's launch, it argues the vehicle is in a class of its own given its level of capability and performance.
And to be fair, the Yukon Denali is one of just three vehicles – the Nissan Patrol and Land Rover Defender 130 being the other two – to offer eight seats and a V8 engine.
But while a V8 Defender 130 has a dizzying price tag of over $200,000 before on-roads, a fully loaded, seven-seat Nissan Patrol Ti-L can be had for a whopping $73,000 or so less than the Yukon.
The Patrol may be showing its age but it still has a smooth and torquey V8 and has finally received a modern interior. Drop down to the Ti and you get eight seats and an even lower price tag.
GM seems to think the Yukon Denali is best compared with luxury-brand rivals, but while it's competitively priced against a Lexus LX or a V8-powered Defender 130, it's missing features like satellite navigation and a Level 2 semi-autonomous driving system, while its attractive interior is let down by some disappointing material choices.
The after-sales package also disappoints.
These might have been more acceptable at a lower price point, but at around $175,000 before on-roads they're disappointing – even if the GMC is the only full-size American SUV on sale in Australia.
So it can't match mass-market brands on price, while it can't give Lexus and Land Rover owners the full luxury experience. Perhaps GM is right, the Yukon is in a class of its own.
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