2008 YUKON - DELIVERING MORE POWER AND BETTER FUEL ECONOMY
08/01/2007
GMC
Last year, the GMC Yukon and Yukon XL full-size SUVs were all-new, delivering more power and better fuel economy than the vehicles they replaced. They build on that segment-leading reputation with changes and innovations for the 2008 model year, including the new six-speed automatic transmission for the Yukon XL 2500 heavy-duty model.
The Yukon and Yukon XL are based on GM's acclaimed full-size SUV platform and feature distinctive styling, spacious and refined interiors, exceptional driving characteristics and segment-leading safety features. Indeed, safety also is enhanced for '08, as head curtain side air bags are now standard for all seating rows on all models. Previously they were optional on some models.
Additional changes for '08 are minor, reflecting customer preferences and enhancing Yukon 's style. They include a change to a 40/20/40-split front bench seat in the base SLE model that provides convenient storage space in the center section; and there are also two new exterior colors: Stealth Gray Metallic and Sonoma Red Metallic.
Yukon XL 2500 ¾-ton features standard StabiliTrak electronic stability control system and available, chrome-finish 17-inch aluminum wheels, along with its new, fuel-saving six-speed automatic transmission. It's hooked to a powerful 6.0L V-8.
Yukon and Yukon XL lineup
Yukon rides on a 116-inch (2,946 mm) wheelbase, with an overall length of 202 inches (5,130 mm). It rides on a wider track that, along with the long wheelbase, provides a smooth, confident and secure driving experience. Yukon XL models have exterior dimensions similar to the regular models, but are about 14 inches longer in wheelbase and 20 inches longer in overall length.
Both Yukon and Yukon XL are available in SLE (cloth trim) and SLT trim (leather appointments), as well as 2WD and 4WD configurations. A third-row seat is standard on Yukon XL models and available on Yukon . The third-row seat is available in two configurations: two-passenger or three-passenger.
Yukon and Yukon XL models feature a 5.3L V-8 with GM's fuel-saving Active Fuel Management technology. A 4.8L V-8 is the standard engine on the Yukon 2WD base model only, and a new 6.0L all-aluminum V-8 with variable valve timing is available on Yukon XL. Several available engines are capable of running on E85, a renewable fuel made of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline; in fact, all Yukon 4WD and Yukon XL half-ton models come standard with the E85-capable version of the 5.3L V-8. GM vehicles with E85 capability can run on 100 percent gasoline or on E85 or on any combination of the two.
Design details
Yukon and Yukon XL have a sleek, taut form. Wraparound front and rear fascias, styled mirrors and integrated running boards provide a seamless, contemporary appearance. Craftsmanship is found in elements such as tight tolerances between exterior components and a tuned, wheels-to-the-corners proportion. The toned look on all models is created with a fast windshield angle of 57 degrees, which flows gracefully into the roofline. This improves aerodynamic performance, which bolsters fuel economy and helps reduce wind noise. Jewel-look lighting elements and doors that extend over the rockers accent the vehicles' precise and refined design elements.
Features such as power articulating running boards and a power liftgate enhance accessibility. The liftgate's easy-to-operate assist feature is designed to help the operator by using the mass of the tailgate to almost open or close itself once the liftgate is past the halfway-open position. A switch inside the vehicle activates the power assist.
Refined, spacious interiors
Interior space has a spacious, refined environment, thanks to a premium tone-on-tone color scheme and a lower-positioned instrument panel. Sculpted seat designs and detailed trim affirm the vehicles' craftsmanship, which is bolstered by optional amenities, such as heated seats for first- and second-row passengers. Also, the front seats offer plenty of fore/aft and recline travel, and the second-row seats have a comfortable angle for the seatback recline.
The upscale styling is complemented by soft, 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. Chrome accents are used on instrument surrounds, vents and other trim.
Craftsmanship also is revealed in unexpected areas, such as distinctive sill plates that greet occupants when the doors are opened, and there are no exposed fasteners or hardware on the pillars, seats or seat tracks. The seats have "close-outs" that surround the seat bottoms and seat tracks, creating a more finished appearance. The undersides of the seats are covered, too, when folded.
The Yukon and Yukon XL also offer an 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 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
Remote start is available and enables the climate system to heat or cool the vehicle's interior prior to occupant use. A wide array of audio, infotainment and safety options also is available and includes an available touch-screen navigation system, as well as a DVD system with a large flip-down screen positioned in front of the second-row seats.
Yukon and Yukon XL interiors are versatile, too. The third-row seats fold flat and are easily tumbled forward or removed for maximum cargo area. Also, the center console storage compartment, at 20.1 liters of capacity, is the segment's largest. The glove box offers significant storage space, too, and features damped opening operation that bolsters quietness and refinement.
Responsive suspension, solid chassis
The Yukon and Yukon XL 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. The frame supports 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.
A rack-and-pinion steering system provides precise and responsive control and enhanced on-center feel. Yukon and Yukon XL 1500 models use a highly refined five-link rear suspension that provides superior isolation and ride, with larger, firmer brackets that also contribute to the vehicles' precise driving manners.
Large, four-wheel disc brakes and a sophisticated 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 next-generation four-channel ABS system is standard. The ABS system works with the standard StabiliTrak electronic stability control system. It incorporates rollover 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 is offered with the available Autoride real-time damping system, which uses electronically controlled shock absorbers to make nearly instantaneous damping adjustments. The system "reads" the road and anticipates the best damping rates. Seventeen-inch wheels are standard on Yukon and Yukon XL; 20-inch wheels are available. The wheels are designed with premium-appearance faces, including available chrome or polished finish. New tires are tailored to the vehicles to provide excellent balance of handling, quietness and safety. Yukon 2500 comes standard with 16-inch wheels and new, 17-inch wheels are available.
Powertrain
The Gen IV small-block V-8 family powers the Yukon and Yukon XL. An iron-block Vortec 5.3L V-8 with 320 horsepower (239 kW)* and 340 lb.-ft. of torque (461 Nm)* offering Active Fuel Management technology is standard on all models except the base Yukon 2WD; Yukon XL with 4WD (5.3L with aluminum cylinder block) delivers 310 hp (231 kW) and 335 lb.-ft of torque (454 Nm).* Active Fuel Management enables better fuel economy by switching between eight-cylinder and four-cylinder operation in appropriate, lower-demand situations. Operation is automatic and seamless to the driver. The engine uses less fuel when operating in four-cylinder mode.
A Vortec 4.8L V-8 is standard on the Yukon 2WD base model. A Flex-fuel E85 version of the 5.3L engine, which is capable of running on E85 ethanol fuel or any mixture of E85 and gasoline, is standard on 4WD models and available on 2WD models. E85 is comprised of 85 percent ethanol, a renewable resource fuel produced in the United States that reduces carbon dioxide emissions
Available on Yukon XL is an all-aluminum 6.0L V-8 with variable valve timing (VVT). It is rated at 366 horsepower (273 kW).* VVT helps optimize camshaft timing to improve low-rpm torque and high-rpm horsepower. The system is enabled by a unique cam phaser - the industry's first application of VVT on a mass-produced V-8 cam-in-block engine. The unique cam phaser adjusts the camshaft timing at the same rate for both the intake and exhaust valves.
Safety and security
The Yukon and Yukon XL 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. Standard features include r 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. These features are integrated into a stronger vehicle structure that is also designed for improved compatibility with other vehicles.
The head curtain 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 acceleration and roll rate. If these signals indicate an impending rollover, the roof-mounted head curtain side air bags deploy to provide an extra measure of occupant protection and containment. These head curtain 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 and Yukon XL'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
Available rain-sensing wiper system
Available Ultrasonic Rear Parking Assist that can detect certain stationary objects in the rearward path of the vehicle and send an audible warning sound (standard on SLT)
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. SLE models come standard with a one-year Safe & Sound plan; SLT models include one-year of Directions & Connections service with Turn-By-Turn Navigation. Both plans include 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).
*SAE certified.