2008 GMC YUKON DENALI AND YUKON XL DENALI CONTINUE TO LEAD SEGMENT IN STYLE
08/01/2007
GMC
In a marketplace crowded with luxury and near-luxury SUVs all clamoring for attention, the GMC Yukon Denali and Yukon XL Denali stand out as icons. They are also the flagships of GMC's family of professional grade vehicles, offering a unique blend of style, performance and refinement.
Style and refinement comes from a distinctive exterior design, including the signature honeycomb chrome grille. Yukon Denali models also feature enhanced exterior bright work, unique headlamps, taillamps and rear fascia treatment, as well as unique 18-inch standard polished wheels. Twenty-inch factory-installed chrome wheels are available. Denali-exclusive headlamps and taillamps further the jeweled look of these unique Yukon models, with detailed lighting elements and clear lenses - with etched GMC logos on the headlamp bezels - that provide a crystalline appearance and distinctive lighting patterns.
The performance is derived from a 6.2L all-aluminum small-block V-8 engine with variable valve timing and a fuel-saving six-speed automatic transmission. The 6.2L engine is rated at 380 horsepower (283 kW)* - the most horsepower in its class.
The Yukon Denali and Yukon XL Denali were redesigned for the '07 model year, so changes for 2008 are minor. Two new exterior colors are added to the palette - Red Jewel Tintcoat and Dark Slate Metallic - and later in the model year, 2WD models will be offered.
Standard features include power liftgate, power release second-row fold-and-tumble bucket seat, head curtain side air bags, power-adjustable pedals, heated windshield washer system, electrochromic (auto-dimming) inside mirror, RainSense automatic windshield wipers, remote start system and Ultrasonic Rear Parking Assist. From an entertainment standpoint, the vehicles come standard with an AM/FM MP3-capable radio with a six-disc in-dash CD changer, Bose 10-speaker Centerpoint Surround Sound audio system and XM Satellite Radio.
The Denali models also offers several helpful and convenient options, including a navigation radio system, rearview camera system, power sunroof, power-retractable assist steps and a rear-seat, DVD-based entertainment system.
Denali refinement and comfort
The interiors of the Yukon Denali and Yukon XL Denali offer style and luxury, including standard Nuance leather-covered seating with heated first- and second-row captain's seats, as well as leather trim throughout - including a Denali-exclusive leather-wrapped steering wheel, which also features real wood accents and a host of auxiliary controls. A heated steering wheel is available.
The upscale styling is complemented by new, softer and low-gloss materials for the instrument panel and other trim pieces. The harmonious color and grain of the materials were carefully selected to provide a premium feel as well as durability. Flush-mounted HVAC controls and radios, with almost imperceptible gaps, convey precision and integration, as do dampened doors for the center console storage and cupholders. Chrome accents are used on instrument surrounds, vents and other trim. Automatic climate control is standard.
Craftsmanship also is revealed in unexpected areas, such as distinctive sill plates that greet occupants when the doors are opened and the lack of exposed fasteners on the seats or seat tracks. The seats have "close-outs" that surround the seat bottoms and seat tracks, creating a more finished appearance. Seat bottoms and hardware are covered, too, when folded.
As with other Yukon and Yukon XL models, the Denali models offer GM's industry-exclusive power fold-and-tumble second-row seat feature that eases access to the third-row seat. The power fold-and-tumble second-row seats are standard on Denali and feature release buttons accessible by the driver on the overhead console or on the interior C-pillar to provide an easy, immediate release of the seat and an access path to the third-row seat or cargo area.
Driving experience
The Denali models are built on GM's full-size SUV platform, which incorporates features such as a fully boxed frame, coil-over-shock front suspension and rack-and-pinion steering. Yukon Denali rides on a 116-inch (2,946 mm) wheelbase, with an overall length of 202 inches (5,130 mm). Yukon XL Denali has exterior dimensions similar to the regular-length model, but is about 14 inches longer in wheelbase and 20 inches longer in overall length. The frames on both models support wide front and rear tracks that enhance stability and driving confidence through a more secure road feel and a lower center of gravity.
The front suspension consists of a coil-over-shock design that delivers linear, solid and unwavering ride and handling characteristics on all road surfaces. Steering comes from a rack-and-pinion steering system that provides precise and responsive control and enhanced on-center feel. A highly refined five-link rear suspension provides superior isolation and ride, with large, firm brackets that also contribute to the vehicles' precise driving manners.
Large, four-wheel-disc brakes and an ABS system ensure braking performance at the top of the segment. Larger vented front and rear brake rotors, stiff dual-piston calipers and long-life brake pads contribute to enhanced pedal feel, reduced brake noise, predictable, linear brake response and shorter braking distances. A Bosch 8.0 four-channel ABS system is standard. The ABS system works with the standard StabiliTrak electronic stability control system; it incorporates the first-time GM application of roll-over mitigation software algorithm technology that uses sensors to proactively predict vehicle "tip-up" and applies appropriate brake forces to help prevent such events.
Enhanced driving control and ride smoothness are offered with the standard Autoride real-time damping system, which uses electronically controlled shock absorbers to make nearly instant damping adjustments. The system "reads" the road and anticipates the best damping rates.
Powertrain
The 6.2L engine of the Yukon Denali and Yukon XL Denali uses advanced technologies and lightweight materials, including variable valve timing and an aluminum cylinder block, which helps the vehicles deliver outstanding, more efficient performance. The 6.2L engine is rated at contributing to the vehicle's uncompromising performance. It produces 380 horsepower (283 kW) and 417 lb.-ft. of torque (565 Nm).*
A six-speed Hydra-Matic 6L80 RWD electronically controlled automatic transmission backs the 6.2L engine. The six-speed automatic has a wide, 6.04:1 overall ratio - including two overdrive gears - that helps deliver an excellent balance of performance and fuel economy. Also, the 6L80 has a "tap up/tap down" capability that allows the driver to manually select upshifts and downshifts with a button on the column shifter.
Safety and security
The '08 Yukon Denali and Yukon XL Denali are designed to be among the industry's safest and most secure vehicles, with a 360-degree perimeter safety system of occupant protection and crash avoidance technologies. This comprehensive system enabled the short-wheelbase Yukon Denali to achieve 5-star frontal crash ratings for the driver and right front passenger in government crash tests. The 5-star rating is the highest safety rating given by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Standard features include head curtain side air bags for all seating rows and front-seat safety belt pretensioners that are linked to the vehicle's sensing system to provide segment-exclusive deployment in rear-end crashes, in addition to frontal crashes. These features are integrated into a stronger vehicle structure that is also designed for improved compatibility with other vehicles.
The head curtain side air bags include design features that provide increased rollover protection and occupant containment. Sensors located at the front of the vehicle, in the side doors, and within the occupant compartment provide increased and more immediate crash detection. The vehicle's sensing system provides segment-exclusive capability to deploy front seat safety belt pretensioners during certain rear-end collisions, enhancing the belt system's ability to hold the occupants firmly in place.
The head curtain side air bag system incorporates one of the segment's first rollover indication sensors, which is located on the vehicle's center tunnel in the occupant compartment. The sensor monitors the vehicle's accelerations and roll rate. If these signals indicate an impending rollover, the head curtain side air bags deploy to provide an extra measure of occupant protection and containment. The side air bags stay inflated longer than airbags developed only for side impacts because rollover incidents can last longer. The deployment duration and other design features of the head curtain air bags combine to provide increased occupant protection and the ability to help keep occupants inside the vehicle.
Crash avoidance is bolstered through enhanced design and driver control dynamics, such as wider front and rear tracks, as well as more responsive suspensions - including a new coil-over-shock front suspension design and new rack-and-pinion steering. The vehicles are built on a stronger and stiffer, fully boxed frame that contributes to enhanced crash energy management. The front frame section has been designed to optimize crush progression resulting in improved energy absorption efficiency. The improved crush performance, enabled by hydroformed frame rails and efficient chassis component packaging, also comprehends design provisions for improved vehicle-to-vehicle compatibility in the event of a frontal impact with a smaller vehicle.
Here's a rundown of Yukon Denali and Yukon XL Denali's safety features:
Standard StabiliTrak stability control system with rollover mitigation technology
Standard dual-stage driver's front air bag
Standard dual-stage outboard-front passenger air bag with Passenger
Sensing System
Standard head curtain side air bags for all seating rows
Standard front seat safety belt pretensioners with rear impact deployment capability
Standard tire pressure monitoring system
Standard rain-sensing wiper system and heated washer fluid
Standard Ultrasonic Rear Parking Assist that can detect certain stationary objects in the rearward path of the vehicle and send an audible warning sound
Available rearview camera system designed to provide the driver with
a view of people or objects in the rearward path of the vehicle (requires available navigation radio)
Standard pull-up/push-down power window switches
Available voice-assisted navigation system.
All models come standard with the OnStar system (includes one-year Directions & Connections plan). The system includes the General Motors Advanced Automatic Crash Notification (AACN) system, making crash data available to emergency services to potentially dispatch the appropriate life-saving personnel and equipment to crash scenes faster. If the vehicle is in a crash that activates an airbag, the OnStar system automatically notifies an OnStar Advisor, who will check on the occupants or summon emergency help if necessary. OnStar also can assist authorities in locating a vehicle if it is reported stolen (ability to locate stolen vehicles varies with conditions).