GMC Yukon SUV will be expensive

When the GMC Yukon Denali SUV goes on sale in Australia early next year, its exterior dimensions and engine displacement won’t be the only substantial numbers it bears.

That’s because the US-built large SUV – which will only be offered in Oz in flagship Denali guise – is tipped to arrive with a starting price north of $160,000, making it pricier than top-spec versions of rivals including the Toyota LandCruiser (Sahara ZX from $145,791 plus ORCs) and Nissan Patrol (Warrior from $105,160 plus ORCs), as well as the uber-luxe Lexus LX 600 (from $156-$217k plus ORCs).

But while a circa-$170k starting price would put it up against luxury off-roaders from the likes of BMW and Land Rover, local General Motors boss Jess Bala says “there’s nothing else like” the GMC Yukon Denali in Australia.

“It’ll [rival] other large SUVs that are in the market [but] we think it's very unique. There's nothing that's exactly like it,” Bala told carsales.

Powered exclusively by the same 313kW/624Nm 6.2-litre petrol V8 found in the full-size Silverado pick-up, the Yukon will come with off-road 4x4 capability, eight seats, loads of technology, a full suite of safety, and the promise of ‘best-in-class towing’.

The high-ranking exec wouldn’t confirm whether Aussie Yukons will get the same 3.8-tonne braked towing capacity as US models, instead saying full local details would be revealed in ‘just over a month’ but it’ll need to offer more than the 3500kg (braked) to outmuscle the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series and Nissan Patrol.

“It's really a blend of capability and luxury in one. So we'll have the amazing towing capability for your caravan, your horse float, your boats etc, but then it's also very, very highly specced; there’s a really big [infotainment] screen, rear-seat entertainment, all of the luxury and comfort features, all the safety features,” said Bala.

“It's going to be very unique but we’re seeing customers sort of cross-shopping us that are in that, you know, large SUV, LandCruiser-type space, potentially coming to look at ours.”

And while Ms Bala wouldn’t be drawn on revealing GM’s sales predictions for the incoming full-size Yukon SUV, she said expectations – and demand – are high.

“We expect it to do very well,” said Bala.

“We’ve already had some really great demand from dealers; a lot of customers have already put their hand up [but] when we release full specs and pricing info in about a month or so, we think that will push [interest] even further because then we can have those dealers go back out to those same customers again and say: ‘Hey, now we know it's going to be this price and this is what you get in it, come place an order with us and you’ll be first cab off the rank’, and hopefully pull in some more customers.”

It's unlikely those customers will be Chevrolet Silverado owners looking for a trade-in, says Bala, who says cannibalisation between the brands isn’t a concern.

“[They’re] different. Just different. They’re not the same vehicle [and] not the same buyer,” says Bala of the Yukon and Silverado.

“No, we might see a little [cannibalisation] but I don’t think we’ll see much. If we look at people that are buying the truck, they want the truck. They want the tray; it’s small businesses and tradies, things like that.”

“There might be the odd few but no, I don’t think we’ll see much cannibalization. What we’d love is garage mates, one of each, would be awesome, but they’re very different vehicles.”

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