GMC Yukon Australian preview
This enormous and opulent V8-powered wagon is unlike anything else on the road in Australia today.
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It looks like the sort of car that belongs in a Presidential motorcade. The GMC Yukon’s huge grille, polished rims and over-the-top proportions are alien to Australian roads.
We don’t have cars like this.
But that will change when the Yukon rolls out of GMSV showrooms in the second quarter of 2025.
This is GM’s second attempt at a big American wagon for Australia. Holden had a go at shipping the Chevrolet Suburban to customers in the late 1990s, before American pick-up trucks became a relatively common sight on the road.
Now that motorists are relatively familiar with the idea of large American metal, the General is going all-in with a fully loaded wagon.
Australian examples of the GMC Yukon will be the range-topping Denali model.
That means we skip past cheaper 3.0-litre turbo diesel or 5.3-litre petrol V8 engines in favour of the same 6.2-litre, 313kW and 624Nm petrol V8 as the Chevrolet Silverado.
Those are big numbers, but then again, this is a big car.
A really big car.
It’s not quite the fictional Canyonero that featured in The Simpsons - “the truck with four wheel drive, smells like a steak and seats thirty-five!”, but it certainly is a big beast.
With a big list of features likely to include a massive 16.8-inch portrait-style central touchscreen, 12-inch digital dash, 15-inch head-up display and front seats with 16-way adjustment, heating, cooling and a massage function.
Toys on American versions include thermal night vision cameras to spot wildlife after dark, an 18-speaker Bose stereo, panoramic sunroof and more cup-holders than a movie theatre.
The brand says interior space is “gargantuan”, and we can’t argue with that.
Designed to seat eight people and still have room in the back for bags, it’s a car for people who want something larger than the likes of Ford’s Everest or the Toyota Prado.
And the interior feels more Lexus than Toyota.
From the land where too much is never enough, it’s no surprise to find America does over-the-top pampering quite well.
We don’t know how much it will be able to tow (lots), how bad the fuel consumption will be (very) or how much the Yukon will cost (again, lots).
My tip is that it will be more than $150,000, that real-world fuel use will be somewhere between 15 and 20 litres per 100 kilometres, and that it will at least match the 3.5 tonne towing claim of most diesel utes. Who would buy such a thing?
People with close ties to America, for one.
Jess Bala, managing director for GM Australia and New Zealand, lived in the US for years, and appreciates the all-American appeal of a mega wagon with a big V8 under the hood.
“There’s no denying it’s a statement vehicle – with the Denali package, the Yukon offers customers the ultimate in premium finishes and performance,” she said.
“The GMC Yukon is the ultimate vehicle for families and groups who need to transport as many as eight people in comfort, safety, and style, combined with unheralded towing capability and luggage carrying ability.
“A powerful petrol V8 engine, luxurious interior, cavernous boot space are complemented with the latest in technology and safety systems to make the GMC Yukon Denali the latest ‘must have’ vehicle brought to you by GMSV.”
The brand offered a brief taste of the Yukon in the form of a couple of laps around witches hats in a car park.
Which was a silly idea, as cars like this are at their best on the open road.
Low-speed manoeuvring in car parks tends to be kryptonite to these Super SUVs, which can feel unwieldy when asked to change direction repeatedly.
Helpfully, the Yukon has tools to assist drivers new to big wagons, including a comprehensive camera system with 13 views that, GMSV says, “provide extra sets of eyes all around the vehicle”.
Just the thing for people trying to hitch a caravan or boat to the Yukon’s tow ball.
Or for security-conscious types who need to watch a crowd while transporting a VIP.
Originally published as GMC Yukon Australian preview
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