GMC Yukon Denali 2025 Review

GMSV has made life easier by offering a sole, highly specified version of the upper-large SUV. The catch is it doesn’t come cheap. Before on-road costs, the 2025 GMC Yukon Denali is $174,990. Even that price is $5000 more expensive than it was originally slated before arriving Down Under from Arlington, Texas.

Aside from the robust spec level, you’re of course paying for the conversion tooling done in Melbourne by renowned specialists Walkinshaw. Yes, the same brand that converts RAM trucks from left- to right-hand drive like the Yukon. All work is validated to meet Australian regulations, too, which goes a long way to justify the price premium.

If you have your heart set on a big V8 SUV but can’t stomach what’s essentially $200K on-road, then the Nissan Patrol Warrior presents as a more ‘economical’ choice. Otherwise, the luxurious, ‘fuel efficient’ BMW X7 and Lexus LX are viable options despite not offering the full eight-seat capacity.

A stumbling block could be the warranty, which is less than current industry norms at three years or 100,000km. It comes with three years of included GMSV roadside assistance. There’s no capped-price servicing and intervals are every 12 months or 12,000km.

The 2025 GMC Yukon Denali is a big unit. Yet, oddly, it isn’t quite as large and in charge as the exterior aesthetic might suggest. It’s got all the chrome grillz and oversized ‘donk’ wheels – it wouldn’t look out of place on an episode of Cribs.

Those wheels are 24-inch machined and painted pearl nickel units, and they make sure the Denali is no shrinking violet – even with the test car’s more demure Summit White hue. Accompanying them are IntelliBeam LED headlights, LED taillights and daytime running lights, electronic side steps and a dual-pane panoramic glass sunroof.

Inside the cabin is plastered with leather. The 12-way electronically operated front seats are heated and ventilated (memory for driver), while the outboard middle seats and the steering wheel are heated, too. There’s also dual-zone climate control and a powered tailgate.

The 2025 GMC Yukon Denali doesn’t carry an ANCAP safety rating. Still, it has six airbags (including full-length items to cover all three rows), ISOFIX points and top-tether anchorages.

Active safety tech is highlighted by autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection, active cruise control, blind-spot assist (with trailer blind zone alert), active lane keeping and departure warning, rear cross-traffic alert, parking sensors and a 360-degree HD camera with up to 10 views.

The 2025 GMC Yukon Denali isn’t short of screen acreage.

Dominating the dash is the portrait-style 16.8-inch infotainment touchscreen that houses the Google-powered operating system with support for wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Ahead of the driver is the 11-inch Digital Driver Information Centre as well as the 15-inch multicolour head-up display.

Second-row passengers aren’t left out, either, with dual 12.6-inch HD LCD displays that also come with wireless over-ear headphones. Although, media is via HDMI input rather than in-built streaming services like Netflix or games for the little ones.

Otherwise, the Yukon Denali comes with Bluetooth, DAB+ digital radio, voice recognition and a high-quality, 14-speaker Bose surround sound system. Native satnav is a notable omission.

Sadly, the large, naturally aspirated V8 is a dying breed. Reduced cylinder counts are now being met with forced induction and electric assistance to serve traditional performance metrics with efficiency.

Therefore, the 2025 GMC Yukon Denali’s overhead-valve 6.2-litre V8 is a bit of a one-finger salute to modern automotive convention. And those who were fans of LS Chevrolet-powered Holdens could be swept up in the nostalgia of the ‘small block’ EcoTec3 L87 engine. It’s a refined powerhouse, packing 313kW and 624Nm.

Yes, it is ‘quick’ – just don’t expect it push you back in the seat. A kerb weight of more than 2.8 tonnes stifles progress somewhat and the 10-speed torque-converter automatic does its best to keep you in the right gear ratio. Traction is rarely an issue with the Active Response four-wheel-drive system.   

How does sit sound? Pretty darn good. The almost wistful Commodore-esque soundtrack generates a sense of occasion. Yet, even with quad exhaust pipes, there could be more aural theatre and volume to really amp up the V8 experience.

There’s no point trying to sugarcoat the 2025 GMC Yukon Denali’s fuel consumption. However, if you’re considering this eight-seat SUV, it is unlikely to be high on your priority list.

The optimistically named EcoTec3 pushrod V8 gains Dynamic fuel management and cylinder deactivation in an attempt at frugality. On paper it appears positive, too, with GMSV officially claiming 12.8L/100km.

Achieving that proves fruitless. Throughout our week the combined average even broke through the 20L/100km marker before settling on 15.9L/100km overall after some highway cruising where the V8 shuts down four cylinders.

The old-school bent-eight can run on cheaper 91 RON unleaded, while the fuel tank is 91 litres. A 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel is offered in the US, but not here.

If you like king-of-the-road prominence, the 2025 GMC Yukon Denali is right up your alley. It’s a bit like piloting a luxury home from the Hamptons.

The Yukon Denali comes with Air Ride Adaptive Four Corner Suspension. It delivers an adjustable ride height as well as automatic load-leveling ability. On a maintained surface with long, open-radius corners, the GMC displays a semblance of dynamism for what it is – an upper-large SUV.

However, the 24-inch wheels and skinny 285/40 Bridgestone Alenza tyres don’t offer much in the way of sidewall cushioning, so the Yukon can struggle to deliver strong secondary ride quality. There’s also a bit of vibration through the body-on-frame chassis, with the Yukon using the ‘ute’-based GMT T1XX platform.

Still, the primary ride quality is suitably controlled as the Denali showcases a more long-legged cruising vibe that deals with smooth dual carriageways well. It would demolish the Melbourne-to-Sydney trek (or vice versa) with ease. The steering rack is slow and predictable, while the brakes require a solid prod of the rather wooden pedal – a process that reminds you how heavy the GMC is.    

It also doesn’t really fit in car spaces with ease and its width makes any shopping-centre underground a heart-racing moment – not to mention the sight of kerbs given the enormous wheels. After all, its 5337mm long, 2058mm wide and 1943mm tall, which is bigger than a 300 series Toyota LandCruiser.

Still, the Yukon Denali isn’t without charm. There’s always reassuring torque from the V8, the 10-speed gearbox is amicable and the cabin remains reasonably quiet with decent outward vision.

The 2025 GMC Yukon Denali is certainly packed with enough gear and off-road modes to suggest it can.

That includes the Active Response system that also packs an electronic limited-slip differential and a two-speed transfer case with 2WD high, 4WD Auto, 4WD high and 4WD low. Ground clearance totals 205mm, while the approach, departure and breakover angles are 24.8, 20.5 and 22.5 degrees respectively. 

That big boat or caravan need not be left dormant, either, as the GMC has a 3628kg braked towing capacity – if you’re using a 70mm tow ball with weight-distribution hitch. Otherwise, it’s 3500kg.

However, with a price tag verging on $200K – not to mention (again) those wheels – we didn’t tempt fate by going off-road. There’s also only a 17-inch space-saver spare.

The team at Walkinshaw deserve a pat on the back for the conversion work as you’re hard pressed to uncover any signs the 2025 GMC Yukon Denali started life as left-hand drive.

It’s also an inviting place to be, with vast amounts of space and upmarket finishings like the authentic wood and Fractal stitching. There are some plastic chrome finishes, but general material and build quality is sound. Getting comfy in the broad front seats is easy thanks to a wide range of adjustment.

Storage solutions are plentiful and suitably sizeable, while physical buttons aid ergonomics. The infotainment display isn’t overcomplicated and it has a snappy response rate. There’s also a digital rear-view mirror as well as a trailer-hitch view.

The rear doors open nice and wide to reveal a vast space for the remaining six seats. The middle row stows with speed via a button, but they are heavy and cumbersome to return manually. Legroom is abundant, especially with the spring-loaded sliding second row, yet headroom is compromised.

Hopping in the rearmost seats isn’t just a kid’s domain with enough room for adults – although probably not three abreast. The other disadvantage is that the middle seatbelt tethers from the roof. Otherwise, amenities are abundant with roof-mounted air vents, climate controls, USB-C ports (even in the third row) and those entertainment displays.

This is a genuine eight-seater that also has room to boot with all pews occupied. If they aren’t, the seats fold flat to reveal a van-like maximum cargo capacity of 3480 litres. Folding the third row can be done via a button in the boot (or near the sunroof controls up front), while the tailgate glass also opens independently.

The 2025 GMC Yukon Denali isn’t going to be for everyone. It’s about as subtle as a bull in a china shop and it’s bigger than Texas.

The Yukon Denali’s use-case is niche and it falls in an awkward price point between the traditional Japanese offerings and the higher-end European marques. Although few have such an imposing silhouette or can ferry around eight occupants with such a profusion of space.

For those who get the appeal of the Yukon Denali and possess the means to purchase it, the GMC will be everything and more. It’s a unique slice of Yankee SUV made possible by impressive Aussie ingenuity.

2025 GMC Yukon Denali at a glance:
Price: $174,990 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Powertrain: 6.2-litre V8 petrol
Output: 313kW/624Nm 
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Fuel: 12.8L/100km (claimed)
CO2: TBC
Safety rating: Not tested

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