2023 GMC Yukon Denali Ultimate: Towering Above the Competition

General Motors refreshed its entire full-size SUV lineup for 2021, ensuring the automaker would retain its sizeable lead in the segment. By all accounts, the new models succeeded in addressing what was arguably the biggest complaint about their predecessors—a lack of interior refinement.

Earlier this winter, The Car Guide took the wheel of a 2023 GMC Yukon Denali Ultimate, which is the latest and grandest addition to the Yukon lineup. You’ll find our various impressions below.

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Vigorous V8

With the GMC Yukon, customers have three engines to choose from: a 5.3-litre V8, and 6.2-litre V8 and a 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo-diesel. The last one boasts abundant torque and proves highly efficient. We loved it during our test drive of the Chevrolet Suburban.

However, with the price of diesel hovering around the $2/L mark right now, the efficiency gain over the gasoline engines is nil. That’s too bad. And remember that the diesel option requires a premium at the time of purchase, as well, except for the Yukon Denali.

Our tester featured the 6.2-litre V8, a remarkably potent and flexible performer that generates no less than 420 horsepower and 460 lb-ft. of torque, showing no hesitation or fatigue when you depress the throttle. It’s much more convincing and pleasant to exploit than the turbocharged 3.5-litre V6 found in the Ford Expedition, which is supposed to help you save gas but actually doesn’t, at least based on our experiences. What’s more, Ford’s EcoBoost isn’t as smooth as either one of GM’s V8 units.

Before we submitted the GMC Yukon to a series of towing tests, it managed to post an average fuel consumption of 14.5 L/100 km through 825 km of city and highway driving, or half a litre better than Natural Resources Canada’s official rating.

All Hail Magnetic Ride Control

Comfort used to be absent on large SUVs with body-on-frame architectures, but not anymore. Thanks to GM’s Magnetic Ride Control damping system, occupants don’t have to suffer on rough pavement or off the road.

Ride quality is impressive, so much so that you’ll probably never want to go back to a standard suspension. It’s almost as if road imperfections, even big potholes, didn’t exist.

The significantly increased levels of comfort and refinement inside the latest-generation GMC Yukon make the experience even more enjoyable. Granted, the new Denali Ultimate model we tested happens to be the most luxurious and most expensive in the lineup, but it’s pretty clear that the interior designers at GM took their job extremely seriously.

The entire cabin screams opulence, looking and feeling nothing like that of the previous generation. Also worthy of praise is the crisp and easy-to-read digital instrument cluster.

Towing Prowess

Thanks to a host of components shared with GM’s full-size pickups, the GMC Yukon excels when it comes to towing. Depending on the model and powertrain, one can expect to tow as much as 8,400 lbs.

We conducted a few tests with a closed trailer that represented a load of about 6,000 lbs. As we anticipated, the big and brawny Yukon beautifully rose to the challenge. Needless to say that fuel economy took a big hit as a result.

Staggering Price

Positioned between the Chevrolet Tahoe and Cadillac Escalade, the 2023 GMC Yukon starts at $74,697 in base SLE trim. Next up is the rugged AT4 at $86,897. As for the top-line Denali and Denali Ultimate, they’re priced from $94,697 and $115,097, respectively.

Those are staggering figures, for sure, although not quite as much as the Escalade’s.

No Electrified Option Yet

Electrification keeps spreading across all market segments, but other than the lackluster Tahoe Hybrid from about 15 years ago and the new-for-2023 Toyota Sequoia, large SUVs continue to show resistance.

With Ford already having an electric full-size pickup on the road and both GM and Ram set to follow soon, this could change, though. In fact, we know about the GMC Hummer EV SUV. What will be next?

Our Verdict

With today’s high gas prices and mounting environmental concerns, it’s becoming harder and harder to justify, let alone commend, the purchase of a large SUV housing a 6.2-litre V8 engine and carrying a six-figure price tag. And yet here we are.

The 2023 GMC Yukon Denali Ultimate has the power, flexibility, refinement, interior space and towing capability to impress even a few naysayers. We like it a lot. And you will probably, too.