GMC Yukon for Australia: V8 American SUV gunning for LandCruiser

GM’s full-size luxury eight-seater SUV will join the Chevrolet Silverado pick-up and Corvette sports coupe in its ‘Specialty Vehicles’ stable in Australia and New Zealand.

GMSV will import the high-spec Denali model for local conversion to right-hand drive by the same Walkinshaw operation that looks after the Silverado’s switch from LHD.

It will become the first GMC on local roads since the smaller Acadia seven-seater was rebadged as a Holden in 2018 to replace the underwhelming Captiva.

Yukon competes in a busy space in North America, rivalling models including the F-150-based Ford Expedition, Lincoln Navigator, Nissan Armada (Patrol), as well as stablemates from Chevrolet, the Suburban and Tahoe.

As with rivals such as the Expedition, which is based on the F-150, the body-on-frame Yukon shares its 'T1' platform with pick-ups, including the Silverado and GMC Sierra, while featuring an independent rear suspension.

The Toyota LandCruiser no longer offers more than seven seats, while the related Lexus LX offers a choice of four- to seven-seat layouts.

The Yukon announcement was made on GMSV’s third anniversary in Australasia, with the umbrella brand’s success since 2020 – notably with 8000 Silverados remanufactured at Walkinshaw’s Dandenong facility – prompting the business-case exploration of other US models.

“We’ve had a lot of success with the Silverado here and, in talking to dealers, talking to customers, we think there’s a real opportunity for a full-size premium SUV like the Yukon,” GM Australia and New Zealand managing director Jess Bala told Wheels.

“The [GMC] Yukon is a bit of an icon over in the US … It’s an amazing premium SUV.

The 5.3-metre-long GMC Yukon is available with a choice of drivetrains in the US, including a 3.0-litre turbo diesel. The Australian Yukon will be powered exclusively by a 6.2-litre petrol V8 producing 313kW and 624Nm, mated to a 10-speed auto with dual-range transfer case.

The rear-drive Yukon has the highest towing rating at 3720kg, though the four-wheel-drive Denali model will still offer Aussies about 3630kg – well below the Silverado’s 4.5-tonne figure but setting a new local benchmark for an SUV.

Toyota’s LandCruiser 300,