GMC Yukon Denali 2025 review - 8 seater V8 Australia first drive
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00:00This is the GMC Yukon Denali, a massive family-friendly 8-seat SUV that's coming to Australia in 2025.
00:07And in this preview, I'm going to tell you whether you should be excited about it.
00:10And spoiler alert, if you like V8 engines, you definitely should be.
00:14Stay tuned.
00:15If you haven't already, please like and subscribe.
00:16Let's take a look at the Yukon Denali, shall we?
00:23Full pricing and specifications of this car haven't yet been confirmed for Australia,
00:28but you can expect it to be more than $100,000.
00:31And rightfully so, because you're getting a massive vehicle with plenty of spec and
00:35tech as standard.
00:36Now, if you're not aware, this car is built in left-hand drive for the North American
00:40market.
00:41Then it's brought out here to Australia, where it's remanufactured by Walkinshaw in Melbourne.
00:45So it is sort of going down the same line as the Ram 1500 and that sort of thing.
00:50So it does have the pedigree on its side in terms of the conversion factor.
00:55Obviously, we'll have to wait and see what the final product is like.
00:58And if you haven't already, ring the bell to keep up to date with my reviews, because
01:01in 2025, I'll bring you more info on this car.
01:04But initially, I can tell you that this car will come in a high standard specification
01:10and you will be getting things like 24-inch wheels, probably.
01:13We'll have to wait and see, but these are 24s on this particular car.
01:16LED lighting all around the car, a really nicely trimmed interior with lovely finishes,
01:21a big panoramic sunroof, a 16.8-inch touchscreen media system with wireless Apple CarPlay and
01:26Android Auto, a big driver info screen that's fully digital as well, and heaps and heaps
01:32of standard safety technology and equipment, which I'll tell you about a little bit later
01:35on.
01:36But hey, if you're thinking, I need eight seats and I need a V8 engine, what else could
01:40you be considering before this arrives in the first half of next year?
01:43Well, I'll tell you some alternatives now.
01:48Honestly, the best alternative to this straight off the bat is the Nissan Patrol Warrior.
01:53It is an eight-seat family SUV and it's basically been remanufactured here as well to be more
01:59off-road capable.
02:00The Warrior is the one I would pick because it does have serious off-road cred, it can
02:05still do three and a half tonne towing, and it's got plenty of comfort on its side as
02:09well.
02:10Still, with plenty of seats as well and plenty of space.
02:12You can check out my review by hitting the link in the description.
02:15Otherwise, you're sort of limited to other vehicles that might cost a little bit more
02:19than that.
02:20So, let's say the Land Rover Defender 130 with the V8 engine, yeah, I drove it recently
02:26as well, it's more than $200,000, but bloody hell, is it a good thing?
02:30It's got plenty of space, plenty of practicality, loads of grunt, and it could be a really good
02:35choice for you if you can justify the cost.
02:37But if you can't, then maybe one of those big pickup trucks like the Ford F-150, like
02:41the Chevy Silverado, like the Ram 1500, I'll put links in the description below for my
02:46reviews of each of those so you can weigh it up for yourself.
02:49But if you need three rows of seats, they won't do the job, will they?
02:52So, do you think this is going to be worth the wait?
02:54I'd love to know your thoughts.
02:55Hit me up in the comments.
02:56Okay, I reckon this looks bigger than it actually is, and a lot of that comes down to the fact
03:03that this is a tall and wide vehicle.
03:06It's long as well, but we're talking more than two metres wide and nearly two metres
03:11tall, and yes, it's about 5.4 metres in length, so like a dual-cab Ford Ranger or something
03:19like that in terms of overall length, but obviously it does have a very different stance
03:24to that.
03:25It's got a really nice long wheelbase, it's got 24-inch rims on this particular pre-production
03:30prototype model, and I think that it does look absolutely fantastic.
03:34This is a baller SUV.
03:36It's got plenty of really handy tricks as well, like these pop-out sidesteps or running
03:41boards, so yes, they will pop out when you open the door, so you can help yourself get
03:45in a little bit easier, which is good to see.
03:48I'll show you inside in a sec, but I just want to show you the rear aspect of this car.
03:53I think it looks pretty smart, and I love the fact that you've got the quad pipes at
03:57the bottom.
03:58Now, let's have a look in the boot, because hey, this could be the real deal for you if
04:04you need lots and lots of space.
04:06Let's have a look at it in five-seat configuration first.
04:09So, two rows of seats in place.
04:11Yes, that seatbelt is in the way, but that's because it hasn't been unplugged, but just
04:15look at how much space there is there.
04:17If you're using this as a five-seater, you will get a huge amount of boot space.
04:22Now, if you want to fold those seats back up, there's no manual pull tabs, because honestly,
04:27you probably couldn't reach, like, no, you couldn't, so you've got these little controls
04:31on the side here.
04:32If you want to raise those seats up, they will come up electronically, and the other
04:37side as well, and yes, that means that you've got plenty of space, even behind the third
04:44row.
04:45So, it is going to be a pretty practical family mover, there's no doubt about that, and you
04:49can expect things like a PowerPoint in the back here.
04:51This is a US-spec PowerPoint, obviously, shopping bag hook there, a little bit of storage underneath
04:56the floor here too, and underneath the boot, you'll find a SpaceSaver spare wheel, but
05:03it is still a very decent-sized wheel.
05:05Obviously, it needs to be, because you couldn't fit a 24 under there.
05:10Okay, let's take a look inside.
05:13Okay, so this is a pre-production prototype, so some of the finishes here aren't necessarily
05:19representative of what you will get when the car rolls into showrooms, and also, I'm not
05:24going to do a really deep dive on the screen, because I think that one will take some learning.
05:28It's a 16.8-inch touchscreen media system, as you can see.
05:31Plenty of features built into it, and controls down the bottom for your fan, and your temperature,
05:37and so forth.
05:38Volume dial, which is integrated into the screen as well.
05:42There's plenty to go through when I get a chance, but I'm going to save that for later
05:46on.
05:47So, let's have a look at some of the things you want to know about, like wireless phone
05:50charger, you've got cup holders there as well, you've got this massive centre console
05:54area, yes, with USB ports, yes, with a removable tray, and plenty of space in there as well,
06:02and you'll have plenty of storage in the front too, big door pockets, you've got a decent-sized
06:07glove box as well, and also, I think that it generally just has a really nice interior
06:13feel, and obviously, I will save my full detailed take on it for later on, but let's just take
06:20a quick look in the second row and see what the space is like.
06:23Okay, so this seat is set for my driving position, and this seat that I'm sitting in is set for
06:28the most forward position available, and look, it is a little bit more cramped than I was
06:35expecting, I have to be honest.
06:37This also slides back though, so that's way, way more accommodating.
06:43Obviously, that will impact those in the third row, but we'll get back there in a sec.
06:47Now, things you can expect are standard climate control, you'll also get USB ports, plenty
06:52of connectivity options, HDMI for these screens on the seat backs as well, seat heating for
06:59the window seats, yes, it does have all the features you would expect, cup holders there,
07:04you've got map pockets, there's also a flip-down armrest with more cup holders, there's bottle
07:08holders in the doors, you've got ISOFIX points in the window seat, and in the middle seat,
07:14and in this other window seat as well, and yeah, you've got that nice big panoramic glass
07:20roof too.
07:21So, yes, it will be family-friendly, yeah, you've got vents, you've got a little hook
07:26here for a jacket or something like that, and a light as well, there's handles to help
07:30you get in and out, and speaking of getting in and out, I'm going to get into the very
07:34back row now, so let's do this.
07:37Okay, so I want to show you this action, do it once, and it pushes down, do it again,
07:43and it folds up, so I can get into the very back row, pull this door shut behind me because
07:48it's a little bit windy, and pull this seat down, that's actually a pretty hefty seat
07:57to adjust, so just keep that in mind, put it back up, and it sort of pivots up to a
08:02more accommodating position as standard, so as you can see, that's in the forward-most
08:07position for whoever was sitting there, and look how much space I've got, plenty of room
08:12in this very back row, there's no doubt about that, yes, there's a flat floor as well, I
08:17mean, you do have those sliding mechanism housings that do eat into the space a little
08:23bit, and if you've got big feet, you might find that it is a little tight, but honestly,
08:28it's a big old thing, and while you don't have ISOFIX points in the back row, you do
08:33have three top tether points for this very back row, which is nice to see, you've got
08:39that centre belt that comes down from the ceiling, which is maybe not ideal, but hey,
08:43if you're not using the third row all the time, it might not matter, USB-C ports, you've
08:47got a pair of cup holders there, a nice little soft padded section, and plenty of glass to
08:52see out of as well, and a really nice high seating position, so it's sort of like stadium
08:57seats back here, there's vents in the ceiling, you've got lights as well, and yeah, I reckon
09:02that for a full-size family SUV, this one has plenty of space on the inside.
09:12This is the party piece, it's a 6.2 litre L87 V8 engine, yes, naturally aspirated, heaps
09:18of power, heaps of torque, and if those numbers look fairly familiar to you, that's because
09:23it's the same engine that's in the Chevy Silverado 1500, and as a result of that, it comes as
09:28standard with a 10-speed automatic transmission, and it's got permanent all-wheel drive as
09:33well, so it is going to be up to the task when it comes to family motoring, and also
09:37those adventures that you might want to have, and if you're the sort of person who likes
09:41to go towing as well, you'll see the towing capacity numbers on your screen, and tell
09:46us what you think about that, is that good enough for a vehicle of this size, or would
09:49you want more?
09:50Anyone who wants a car like this probably wants more, right?
09:53Alright, let's go for a drive, we're not going to be driving this black one, we're going
09:55to be driving that white one over there, which is left-hand drive, but it's not going
10:00to be an extensive drive test, so don't get your hopes up too much, but if you do want
10:04to know more about it, remember, ring the bell, and you'll be notified when I do my
10:08full, big review of this car later on.
10:13This is a big vehicle, and one thing that is impressing me so far about this car is
10:21the visibility around the cabin, and outside the car as well.
10:25It's got a digital rear-view camera mirror up here, so when you look out, you're not
10:30just seeing a sea of faces behind you, obviously there's actually no one behind me, but if
10:34there was, it would be difficult to see out of this car, but it's not, because you've
10:38got that digital camera system, you've got big mirrors, and your over-shoulder glance
10:43potential is actually pretty good, even on the wrong side of the car, you can see a fair
10:47bit because it does have a pretty tall glass house.
10:50It is a big car, and obviously the camera technology is a big part of how good or how
10:56usable this car is in terms of the daily, and look, I think that for families who are
11:02looking for a car that's this big, with this much space, and also this much power, you
11:08will want to have a good set of cameras to help you see where you're going.
11:12Now, just going through this chicane-style setup here, this is not representative of
11:17a real road situation, but maybe it would be if you're going through traffic calmers
11:22in a suburban area or something like that, but I'm just going to go over this big pothole
11:28drain thing to give you an idea of what it's like.
11:30Yep, you sort of fall into the bump, but it's not terrible.
11:34It's got 24-inch wheels, remember, so it's certainly not supple in terms of the way that
11:40it deals with those sorts of lumps and bumps, but I am suitably impressed so far.
11:46I can't wait to drive this car in the real world, in real situations, and you'll be able
11:51to see that review in early 2025, hopefully.
11:56So yeah, it does have a 10-speed automatic transmission, and this is very much slow-speed
12:00driving that we're doing, like not really much more than 50 k's an hour, but I will
12:04just give it a bit of a squirt to see what it sounds like when you do give it a bit more
12:11guts.
12:12Here we go.
12:13Yeah, yeah, yeah, you saw the smile get on my face then, didn't you?
12:19I'm just going to give it one more.
12:22Yeah, yeah, I mean, if you like V8s, you're going to like this car, I reckon.
12:26It does have a great soundtrack to it, and the 10-speed auto seems to do a pretty good
12:30job so far, as far as I can tell, but like I said, make sure you ring the bell and you'll
12:35be notified when I do a full detailed review of this car very soon.
12:39I'll also tell you all about the fuel economy and the things you need to know about that
12:43when I get a chance to do a real drive.
12:48There is no ANCAP or Euro ANCAP rating for this car.
12:51I don't think there will be, because it would be very, very expensive to crash a whole bunch
12:55of these, but you can expect that it will come very well equipped in terms of standard
13:00safety technology.
13:02Things like autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, adaptive
13:06cruise control, lane-keeping assistance, traffic jam assist, blind spot monitoring, rear cross
13:11traffic alert, and a very, very good camera system will all be standard.
13:16Parking sensors all around the car, and plenty of airbags fitted as well, so I think that
13:20it will stack up well enough for a family buyer who wants to protect them and everyone
13:25in the car.
13:26I guess the question will be whether it will protect everyone outside the car as well,
13:29because it is huge.
13:32Okay, when it comes to ownership, there's going to be a three-year, 100,000 kilometre
13:38warranty for this car, and I think that that is okay, but certainly nowhere near as good
13:43as it could be.
13:44Five years and unlimited kilometres is the standard these days, and remember, this car's
13:48been pulled apart and put back together, so you would hope that you would get a little
13:52bit more backing than that, but at this point in time, in September 2024, the brand doesn't
13:57look like it's going to be changing that warranty program any time soon.
14:01Now, service intervals are still to be confirmed, but you can expect it to be 12 months or 10,000
14:05Ks, and the service pricing, there is no cap price servicing plan either, so all of those
14:09things might go a little bit against your decision-making process, but tell me what
14:13you think in the comments.
14:14Would it rule it out for you?
14:15You still get three years of roadside assist, though, so at least that's something.
14:21So, that's the GMC Yukon Denali, and look, I will be doing a more detailed review of
14:27this car later on, but if you haven't already, please ring the bell so you'll be notified
14:31when I do, and obviously I think that the pricing will be crucial for this model's
14:35success in our market, but if you like this, and you've got money, you're probably going
14:40to buy one.
14:41I reckon that this stacks up really, really well, straight off the bat, just in terms
14:44of size, presence and style, but tell me what you think about it in the comments.
14:48How much should it cost?
14:49I'd love to know your thoughts, and if you haven't already, please like, subscribe and
14:52ring that bell.
14:53See you when I see ya!