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The 2019 GMC Yukon Denali XL, a massive vehicle, with more room inside than a 1 bed flat in London and a curb weight of close to 5,500 lbs.
The sheer mass is not a problem since the Denali has a thumping 6.2 liter V8 up front developing 420 hp @ 5,600 rpm and 460 lb-ft @ 4,100 rpm, enough to propel it from 0-60 in 6.1 seconds. That’s pretty quick for a full sized…
The 2019 GMC Yukon Denali XL, a massive vehicle, with more room inside than a 1 bed flat in London and a curb weight of close to 5,500 lbs.
The sheer mass is not a problem since the Denali has a thumping 6.2 liter V8 up front developing 420 hp @ 5,600 rpm and 460 lb-ft @ 4,100 rpm, enough to propel it from 0-60 in 6.1 seconds. That’s pretty quick for a full sized SUV but you do pay for it at the pump, despite the V8 having active fuel management which allows a the engine to “turn off” half of the cylinders under light-load conditions to improve fuel economy.
That said I did only manage 13.2 mpg for the week but according to EPA tests that’s a 5.5–7.5% improvement in fuel economy over the same engine without Active Fuel Management.
The GMC Yukon Denali is available in SLE and SLT trims, with a 5.3-liter V8 under the hood or the optional engine in the Denali. There are several options for seating, for seven, eight or even nine people.
At 19 feet long the Denali XL is a lot of vehicle and one of the few I’ve tested that won’t fit in my garage. Despite this and being a body on frame truck it drives as if it were much smaller, except when you need to parallel park of course. Even so the GMC Yukon Denali trim’s active safety features such as the low-speed automatic braking, wide-angle rear-view camera and front/rear parking alert sensors are very helpful.
The GMC Yukon Denali comes standard with GM’s excellent Magnetic Ride Control, which adjusts the suspension electronically to actively reduce body roll. It makes for a tremendously smooth ride on almost every surface. It doesn’t make it into a sports car though, it will under-steer if you go into a corner too fast.
Another outstanding feature is the excellent 10 speed automatic transmission co-developed with Ford. Shifts are smooth as butter and if you need speed it will drop down 2 or 3 gears with no delay. It’s all so effortless. I spent the rainy and snowy week in Auto mode which let’s the vehicle decide on whether it needs 2 or 4 wheel drive and adjusts the transmission accordingly. Huge pools of standing water, pouring rain, slick roads, nothing fazed it.
The big beast also has what GM are calling automatic grade braking which controls unnecessary acceleration and reduces the need to brake while cruising downhill. Sensors monitor braking, throttle position, trailering conditions and acceleration to relay appropriate transmission commands to remain in a lower gear while the vehicle descends. It turns on automatically and a message appears in front of the driver to confirm it has been activated.
Creature comforts abound inside the big Denali, the front seats are heated, cooled and leather appointed even in the second row. The GMC Yukon Denali cabin is very quiet, spacious and comfortable, although it’s starting to feel a little outdated, it’s definitely due for a refresh.
The GMC Yukon Denali 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system is where an upgrade is needed, it looks so small in the expansive dash, however, it functions perfectly and has a fast and intuitive interface. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard and easy to use. Also offered is a WIFI hotspot that worked great even when my phone had no signal.
Open up the rear hatch and you get buttons to flip the second and third row seats forward and unsurprising in a vehicle this size, there’s plenty of legroom in both rows. Space is GMC Yukon Denali excels, drop doth rows down you have a massive 94.7 ft³ cubic feet available, with both seats upright there’s still 39 cubic feet of space behind the third row. This GMC Yukon Denali beats out the Ford Expedition, it’s closest rival.