General Motors Special Vehicles (GMSV) has confirmed it will be introducing the GMC Yukon into the Australian market in early 2025.
The full-size SUV, which dwarfs traditional large SUVs such as the Toyota Prado, will be sold in an eight-seat configuration in the highly specified Denali grade.
The GMC Yukon is coming to Australia in 2025
The Yukon will undergo remanufacturing in Melbourne, with development of the left- to-right-hand-drive conversion set to take place in 2024. Pricing and specifications for the Yukon will be announced shortly before the model arrives in showrooms.
It comes as GMSV celebrates a major milestone with its 8000th remanufactured Chevrolet Silverado rolling off its production line in Dandenong, Victoria.
The Silverado along with the Corvette have been key wins for the local importer, with plans to expand this offered in the coming years with the arrival of the hybrid-powered Corvette E-Ray and upgrades to the Silverado 1500 and HD lineup.
Huge 22-inch wheels are available in the US
GMSV director Greg Rowe emphasised that the success of these models has laid the groundwork for the Yukon to arrive in Australia.
“GMSV has made a real impression in the local market and, thanks to this success, we’ve
been able to make a strong business case for additional models and this latest arrival is
testament to these achievements,” he said.
What is the GMC Yukon?
As a GMC product, the Yukon effectively straddles the middle ground between the more affordable Chevrolet Tahoe and the full-fat luxury Cadillac Escalade in the GM lineup.
Available in a standard and ‘XL’ long wheelbase option, the Yukon is sold in the SLE & SLT entry-level grades, followed by the AT4 as well as the Denali and Denali Ultimate.
The Yukon Denali can tow up to 3700kg
Australia is understood to receive the standard wheelbase version, which still measures 5.33m metres long, over two metres wide and 1.94 metres tall, with a wheelbase of over three metres.
What is the towing capacity of the Yukon?
The towing capacity of the Yukon Denali is officially rated at up to 3719kg (8200lb) in the US, it’s likely this will be rounded down to 3700kg for our market.
The Yukon Denali seats eight people across its vast cabin
What does the Yukon Denali include?
While the exact specification that arrives in local Australian showrooms is often unique from the American market in which it is derived, the two versions are expected to be broadly similar.
The standard engine in the Yuki Denali is the 6.2L naturally-aspirated V8 making 313kW of power and 623Nm of torque. Also available is a 206kW/623Nm 3.0L turbo-diesel straight-six, with both paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission.
In terms of other features available on the Denali include:
- Adaptive air suspension
- Heated and ventilated front seats
- Heated steering wheel
- Wood panelling inserts around the cabin
- Wheels stretching from 17 to 22-inches in size
- LED headlights and tail lights
- Panoramic sunroof
- A power-sliding centre console in the second row
Full grain leather is available on the Ultimate grade
Available on the Denali Ultimate are upgrades such as the Bose 18-speaker sound system and full-grain leather interior trim.
It remains to be seen if GM’s hands-free adaptive cruise control will make it to the Australian market, or if it will run into any potential issues with local regulations.
