2015 GMC YUKON DENALI – QUICK TAKES

The all-new 2015 Yukon, Yukon XL and flagship Yukon Denali models deliver greater capability and refinement, greater performance, new fold-flat rear seats and a quieter interior. They’re also better-connected, with next-generation IntelliLink.

Bold styling and advanced technologies – including new safety and security technologies – support Yukon’s greater capability, while a more comprehensive list of standard features is designed to broaden the appeal of one of the industry’s most popular full-size SUV lineups.

The distinctive Denali models deliver an exclusive package of design, performance and upscale interior amenities.

A new family of advanced EcoTec3 engines delivers more horsepower and torque, with the segment’s best V-8 fuel economy, including EPA-estimated 23 mpg highway with the standard 5.3L engine (2WD models) – a nearly 10-percent improvement over previous models.

Yukon Denali’s exclusive 6.2L engine is the most powerful in the segment, with 420 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque. Denali models are also rated at 15 mpg city / 21 mpg highway (2WD models).

“We’ve engineered the Yukon and Yukon XL from the ground up, building on a strong legacy of capability to take them to the top of the segment with exceptional refinement and purposeful technology,” said Duncan Aldred, vice president of GMC Sales and Marketing. “And when it comes to the tasks for which people rely on a full-size SUV, they do it better than ever – and with more style.”

Yukon and Yukon XL share design, architectural and powertrain elements, but Yukon XL has an approximately 14-inch longer wheelbase and is approximately 20 inches longer overall, providing greater legroom for third-row passengers and more than twice the cargo room behind the third-row seat.

New and enhanced product highlights across the 2015 Yukon lineup include:

• Fold-flat second- and third-row seats that enhance cargo capability and convenience – including an available power-folding feature
• Easier entry/exit
• All-new cargo management system
• Available power rear liftgate with multiple programmable height settings
• Standard eight-inch-diagonal color touch screen radio with enhanced IntelliLink and available navigation
• Eight-inch-diagonal customizable driver display with three available user themes and available head-up display (Denali models)
• Multiple USB ports, an SD slot and accessory power outlets – including a 110-volt three-prong outlet –  to support electronic devices of all kinds
• Available Blu-ray/DVD rear-seat entertainment system with dual screens on Yukon XL
• Conversation mirror in the overhead console that provides a panoramic view of the rear seats
• Available keyless entry and push-button start.

When it comes to safety, the Yukon lineup incorporates new technologies to help protect the driver and passengers before, during and after a collision. They include a forward radar system and the segment’s only Front Center Air Bag (models with front bucket seats), which deploys from the inboard side of the driver’s seat and inflates between the driver and front passenger, providing added protection for both front occupants in side-impact crashes.

Bold styling, enhanced refinement
All-new exterior and interior designs advance GMC’s professional grade credentials with elements designed to be beautiful and functional. The exteriors are sleeker and more aerodynamic, enhancing efficiency on the highway and contributing to the new Yukon’s quiet ride.

Bold styling cues include highly detailed, chrome-accented grilles matched with GMC’s signature C-shaped light-emitting diode lighting motif, front and rear. Projector-beam headlamps are standard on Yukon and Yukon XL. The distinctive Denali models are instantly identifiable by their signature chrome grille and unique exterior appointments, including exclusive high-intensity discharge headlamps.

Additional exterior features include:

• New inlaid doors fit into the body side openings instead of over the top of the body, significantly reducing wind noise and contributing to improved aerodynamics
• Laminated windshield and front door glass to enhance quietness
• Lightweight aluminum hood and liftgate panels enhance efficiency by reducing overall mass
• A standard rear spoiler on the liftgate houses a relocated rear window wiper that is hidden when not in use
• New worm screw-style liftgate arms take up less interior space than the previous gooseneck arms
• Illuminated, power-retractable assist steps available on Denali
• New family of 18-, 20- and 22-inch wheels, including standard 20-inch wheels on Denali.

Inside, the all-new 2015 Yukon’s precisely crafted interior features a quiet cabin, authentic materials and premium infotainment choices. Examples include soft-touch instrument panel, console and door panel materials with French seam stitching and purposeful use of ambient lighting in functional areas, including first- and second-row foot wells and the center console. All models have a standard Bose sound system, seats with dual-firmness foam and an ambient air vent designed to enhance comfort for front-seat passengers.

Denali models feature active noise cancelation technology to make the interior quieter.

There are more storage options in the new Yukon lineup, including a compartmentalized center console large enough to store a laptop or iPad with provisions for hanging file folders and other organizational features, for customers whose vehicle also serves as a rolling office.

More capable, more comfortable
The 2015 Yukon lineup delivers greater capability and greater refinement through new and enhanced chassis and suspension systems. A fully boxed frame – composed of more than 75 percent high-strength steel – supports a quiet and controlled ride. New shear-style body mounts attached to the frame significantly improve stiffness and contribute to the Yukon’s smooth ride.

Compared with previous models, the driving experience of the new SUVs is further enhanced with:

• Wider rear track that contributes to a more planted stance
• Wheels that are a half-inch wider, reducing tire flex, for improved cornering performance
• New, electric variable-assist power steering system enhances fuel economy and tailors steering assist to vehicle speed
• New 9.5-inch rear axle and standard automatic locking rear differential
• Standard StabiliTrak electronic stability control, tow/haul mode, trailer sway control, auto grade braking and hill start assist
• New four-wheel-disc brake system with Duralife™ brake rotors that offer up to double the service life, along with brake pedal revisions that improve pedal feel for stronger-feeling, more confident braking performance
• Denali models include third-generation magnetic ride control, a real-time damping system that delivers more precise body motion control by “reading” the road every millisecond and changing damping in just five milliseconds.

IntelliLink and OnStar 4G LTE
The 2015 GMC Yukon’s next-generation IntelliLink infotainment system is better connected and offers passengers more choices for their increasingly plugged-in lifestyles. It provides easy, intuitive operation of basic functions, yet it is also highly customizable and capable of linking up to 10 devices such as smartphones, SD cards and MP3 players, giving customers more ways of staying connected.

Enhanced connectivity and convenience includes a new Text Messaging Alerts feature for smartphone users with Bluetooth profile (M.A.P.), which reads incoming texts through the vehicle’s speakers, and Siri Eyes Free for iPhone iOS 6 and iOS 7 users to enhance connectivity and convenience. Each enables voice-controlled connectivity, to help keep phones safely stowed and hands on the wheel.

Additional standard and available features include:

• Eight-inch-diagonal color touch screen and multiple USB ports
• New OnStar with 4G LTE and standard built-in Wi-Fi hotspot (later availability)

• IntelliLink enhancements with gesture recognition and natural language voice recognition
• Available navigation.

OnStar with 4G LTE and standard built-in Wi-Fi hotspot provides a mobile hub for drivers and passengers to stay connected. The hotspot is on whenever the vehicle is on and comes with a three-month/three-gigabyte data trial.

4G LTE is the most current and fastest mobile data network – 10 times faster than 3G and 100 times faster than the previous generation of OnStar hardware. And with OnStar, it also offers stronger, broader coverage than smartphones on the same network and it’s easy to use: If the vehicle is on, the connection is on.

At the time of purchase, six months OnStar Directions and Connections includes all of OnStar’s advisor-based safety and security features, including Automatic Crash Response and Stolen Vehicle Assistance, as well as turn-by-turn navigation.

Five years of OnStar Basic Plan includes RemoteLink Key Fob Services, allowing owners to remotely start and lock/unlock a car (if properly equipped), and activate the horn and lights from anywhere with a data connection. It also includes OnStar Vehicle Diagnostics, which runs monthly checks of a vehicle’s engine, transmission, anti-lock brakes and more, and Dealer Maintenance Notification, which sends diagnostic report directly to a preferred dealer simplify service scheduling.

The OnStar with 4G LTE connection will arrive later in the 2015 model year.

Advanced engine technology
The all-new Yukon family is more powerful and efficient than before, thanks to the new EcoTec3 engine family, which debuted in the 2014 Sierra. A 5.3L V-8 is standard in Yukon and Yukon XL models and an exclusive 6.2L engine is standard in Denali models, delivering the segment’s best horsepower and torque – SAE-certified 420 horsepower (313 kW) and 460 lb-ft of torque (623 Nm).

The EcoTec3 engines feature state-of-the-art technologies, including direct injection, cylinder deactivation, continuously variable valve timing and an advanced combustion system, designed to make the most of power, torque and efficiency across a broad range of operating conditions. More precisely controlled combustion enables the new engines to run with a higher compression ratio, which delivers greater power and efficiency.

Hydraulic engine mounts, electronic throttle control, adaptive exhaust systems, improved aerodynamics and other technologies help the engines operate in four-cylinder mode for longer periods of time with Active Fuel Management, further increasing efficiency.

Both engines are matched with the Hydra-Matic 6L80 six-speed automatic transmission.

Safety technologies
The new, 2015 GMC Yukon models are equipped with new standard and available driver-alert technologies that add layers of crash-avoidance protection, as well as enhanced occupant protection in the event a crash occurs. They include the segment’s first Front Center Air Bag (front bucket seat models). This feature deploys from the inboard side of the driver’s seat and inflates between the driver and front passenger, providing added protection for both front occupants in side-impact crashes.
Active safety features use camera, radar and ultrasonic sensors to provide alerts and intervene when necessary to help avoid crashes, including an available safety alert seat that vibrates if the system determines the driver is at risk of colliding with another vehicle. Driver assistance begins with a standard rear vision camera that shows the area immediately behind the vehicle in the audio system screen. The camera is especially helpful when hooking up a trailer.

Additional standard and available driver alert technologies include:

• Side blind zone alert
• Lane change alert
• Rear cross traffic alert
• Forward collision alert
• Lane departure warning
• Adaptive cruise control
• Crash imminent braking.

Along with driver alert features, standard chassis control crash-avoidance technologies include GM’s StabiliTrak electronic stability control with rollover mitigation technology, trailer sway control, hill-start assist and four-wheel, four-channel anti-lock brakes. An available trailer brake controller conveniently monitors trailer brakes.

Manufacturing and factory support
The new Yukon family is built at GM’s Arlington, Texas assembly plant.

GMC’s ProGrade protection program, for two years/24,000 miles (whichever comes first) of scheduled maintenance, is standard and covers four services of an oil change, tire rotation and 27-point inspection. It complements the three-year/36,000-mile (whichever comes first) bumper-to-bumper limited vehicle warranty and five-year/100,000-mile (whichever comes first) powertrain limited warranty for peace of mind.

2015 GMC YUKON DENALI – QUICK TAKES MSRP $62,680.00

As shown with Touring Package and other options:  $71,720.00

CLICK HERE AND WATCH AUTO CRITIC STEVE HAMMES’ REVIEW OF THE 2015 GMC YUKON DENALI.