
Around the turn of the millennium, GMC introduced the Denali nameplate for the first time, using the name of North America’s highest mountain peak to badge its top-of-the-line Yukon for the 1999 model year. Since then, the Denali sub-brand has come to represent a more premium, yet no less capable, lineup of American-made SUVs and trucks — traits that GMC is doubling down on with the release of the marque’s new range-topping Yukon Denali Ultimate.
Exterior details that are exclusive to this new top-of-the-line model include Vader chrome-finished accents, Galvano elements on the front fascia, polished bright chrome window and door panel trim, and distinctive 22” seven-spoke machined wheels decorated in a combination of exposed chrome and dark paint. Inside, the car features an Alpine Umber interior with all three rows of seating trimmed in full-grain leather, plus 16-way adjustable power seats with heat and massage, an aluminum decor trim package throughout, and genuine open-pore Paldao woodgrain trim decorated in a laser-etched topographical map of Mount Denali — a motif that’s also found on the Denali Ultimate’s front headrests.
On top of GMC’s available Super Cruise driver assistance package, the Denali Ultimate comes loaded with an impressive suite of tech that includes a 10.2” infotainment system, connectivity to Google, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto, onboard wireless phone charging, and an optional WiFi hotspot and Alexa virtual assistant. The cabin has also been bestowed with an advanced 18-speaker Bose Performance Series audio system — a first for GMC — that boasts headrest-mounted speakers and etched metal speaker grilles to complement the interior’s aluminum trim. Powered by either a standard 420-hp 6.2L V8 or an available 277-hp Duramax 3.0L Turbo-Diesel engine, the Yukon Denali Ultimate also gets a 10-speed automatic transmission, Magnetic Ride Control, Air Ride Adaptive Suspension, and GMC’s standard Active Response 4WD system with an electronic limited-slip differential and an Auto Track two-speed transfer case — all of which come as standard.
The 2023 GMC Yukon Denali Ultimate is slated for a release in the Fall of 2022, and while the American automaker has yet to reveal pricing, we anticipate an MSRP in the ballpark of $90,000 — based on the current Yukon Denali’s roughly $70,000 price tag and the fact that the existing Ultimate-spec of the Sierra Denali comes with a $20,000 premium over the regular Sierra Denali model.


