The GMC Yukon and Yukon XL are being updated for 2025, with better seats, bigger screens, the biggest wheels ever fitted to a GMC product, and a whole host of firsts.
Like the Cadillac Escalade and the Chevrolet Suburban, the updated Yukon benefits from an improved front and rear fascia that was designed to make the SUV look broader and more imposing on the road.
Under the hood, buyers will be offered a range of engines, including a 5.3 and a 6.2L gas V8. Where the 2025 Escalade is dropping the diesel engine option, the Yukon is picking it up. An updated 3.0L diesel engine will be available across all trims (including, for the first time ever, the AT4 trim), and makes 305 horsepower and 495 lb-ft of torque, which is 10 per cent more horsepower and 13 per cent more torque than it currently makes. With it, the SUV can tow up to 8,400 pounds (3,810 kg). Regardless of what engine buyers opt for, the Yukon will send power to all four wheels via a 10-speed automatic transmission.
Despite the workhorse of an engine, Yukon buyers won’t be deprived of luxuries. The torquey engine will help turn wheels that grow up to 24 large – the first time GMC has offered such large wheels. Second-row executive seating will be another first for the brand. These see the 16-way power adjusting seats that are normally reserved for the first row installed in the second row, too, and feature leather upholstery with Bose speakers embedded in the headrests for even surroundier sound.
GMC has also decided to rework the Yukon’s lineup. At the bottom, the SLE and SLT trims have been replaced by the Elevation trim. That makes more room at the top for the Denali, Denali Ultimate, AT4, and, for the first time ever, an AT4 Ultimate trim. Whereas the Denali Ultimate trim focuses on luxury, offering 24-inch wheels, second-row executive seating, and new wood decor with open pore laser-etched topographical patterns inspired by Mount Denali, the AT4 Ultimate trim focuses on off-road capability. That means 20-inch wheels wrapped in all-terrain tires, a front skid plate, four corner air suspension that can rise by up to two inches, in combination with full grain leather upholstery, open pore wood trim, and white ash burl accents.
Irrespective of trim, the Yukon will also benefit from improved technology in 2025. That includes a new tablet-style 16.8-inch infotainment screen, an 11-inch instrument display up front, and optional eight-inch touchscreens for second-row passengers. In addition, the SUV becomes the first GMC product to come with a night vision system, which helps drivers spot deer and other dangers on dark roads.
Buyers may be relieved to hear that, despite the wealth of screens, the 2025 Yukon retains physical buttons and controls for air conditioning and other vehicle functions. In addition, GMC has added a power centre console that slides back and is large to enough to stow a whole purse. Other nifty new features include a jackknife alert for towing, and a presence-based power liftgate at the rear, that relieves owners from having to kick their feet wildly in order to open the back hands-free.
GMC has yet to reveal pricing for the updated 2025 Yukon, but production is kicking off soon at the automaker’s plant in Arlington, Texas, and the SUV will be available to customers before the end of 2024.
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