Just a couple days ago, GM Authority showed you the refreshed 2025 GMC Yukon Denali Ultimate in Onyx Black paint without any camouflage. Those photos didn’t show the SUV from all angles, so we shot another set for a better look. In fact, the tester caught here is the exactly the same model and wears the exact same license plate as the one we showed you on Friday.
Coated in the sinister Onyx Black (GBA) paint, this 2025 Yukon Denali Ultimate showcases several exterior updates that are coming to the soon-to-debut refresh.
At the front, the GMC Yukon Denali Ultimate shows off its new Vader Chrome grille, a finish that’s exclusive to GMC’s Denali Ultimate models. The grille features an intricate interlocking pattern, while the dark finish meshes nicely with the black paint. A pair of massaged headlamp enclosures flank the grille, adopting a new Daytime Running Light (DRL) signature teased by GMC earlier this year. Note that in the two photos above, this C-shaped signature also does double duty as the turn signal indicator, taking on an amber hue, as opposed to the white DRL. Meanwhile the primary headlight array – made of up three vertically stacked slats – is located lower within the enclosure, substantially changing the demeanor of the refreshed model’s front end.
At the bottom of the front fascia, the revised bumper integrates new fog lights and combines body-color, black, and polished trim pieces.
The side profile features the 22-inch seven-spoke ultra-bright machined wheels with bright chrome accents and dark paint (RPO code SRM). The rims are carry-overs over from the current model and their technical design and bright finish provide a nice contrast with the black exterior. Further enhancing the profile are body-colored door handles, Denali badging on the doors, and polished trim around the windows. Retractable running boards are tucked neatly under the body.
At the rear, GMC has repositioned the Denali badge to a more central location, ensuring it commands the attention it so deserves. The C-shaped taillights retain their familiar design, and the revised rear bumper features a new exhaust treatment. But unlike the model we showed you on Friday, this one has shed its EPA exhaust tips.
Inside, the refreshed Yukon is expected to feature an overhauled cockpit with a 15-inch infotainment display and an 11-inch driver information screen, similar to the Sierra EV, 2024 GMC Acadia and 2025 GMC Terrain. Unlike the current, pre-refresh Yukon, the screen layout is expected to be identical between Denali and non-Denali trims.
The refreshed 2025 GMC Yukon will continue to offer the naturally aspirated 5.3L V8 L84 and 6.2L V8 L87 gasoline engines. It will also introduce a new engine in the form of the 3.0L I6 LZ0 turbodiesel Duramax, which will replace the 3.0L I6 LM2 offered from the 2021 thru 2024 model years.
Production will continue to take place at the GM Arlington plant in Texas, while the GM T1 platform will once again provide the underpinnings. GM also plans to offer the Yukon nameplate in several new overseas markets, including Australia, New Zealand, and China.
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Comments
ANOTHER ridiculous GMC Denali. Just buy an Escalade!
The buyer pool is not the same. Many who buy the GMC would not be caught dead in an Escalade.
Been driving trucks/ full size SUV’s for 30 years, would never drive a Caddy with all that ugly blingy badging.
I read somewhere years ago (7-8 years at least) that the typical GMC Yukon buyer had a higher net worth and higher income than the average Lincoln Navigator or Cadillac Escalade buyer. And that Yukon buyers are unusually loyal not only to the brand but to the dealership and often even the salesman – even more than the already impressive and similar Chevy Suburban. People interested in the Yukon aren’t usually cross shopping with the Escalade, and are for less likely to lease their vehicle than the people interested in the Cadillac.
It stuck out to me as a surprise because those vehicles are similar in size and quality but not at the same price point. Their differences are highly derived from marketing and branding.
Those buyer characteristics may not still be true for these newer designs and variants….but it wouldn’t shock me. GMC and it’s Denali sub brand are examples of major branding and marketing success stories within the auto industry. Others have attempted to replicate it. Ford has done it with the Raptor. Lincoln has tried it with Black Label. I’m even seeing GMC replicate it with the AT4 sub brand that is focused for off roading.
The Escalade and Yukon both hit their target audience very well. It’s actually quite impressive what General Motors has been able to do with what is pretty much the same vehicle under the sheet metal. They’ve done incredibly well with the Tahoe and Suburban too.
It’s much like the different folks made between owning a Buick and a Cadillac 60 years ago: Owning a Buick says you’re making a lot of money, but a Cadillac says you have a lot of money.
Yep. Although it is kind of the opposite today.
Cadillac Escalade is a blingy vehicle for the aspirational wealthy. The people who lease/buy them may earn high incomes but are generally younger and don’t have “balance sheet wealth”.
IDK much about the V series sedans, but they are specialized and performance oriented. That usually means younger – like BMW buyers. High income earners (or people who aspire to be high income earners), but likely not balance sheet wealthy. It sounds bad but that is exactly the audience Cadillac wanted with those. That’s very similar to the BMW M demographic.
By contrast the Yukon is more likely to be older people who have spent years accumulating wealth. They likely have more assets, fewer liabilities, and can afford much more vehicle if they wanted. They are pretty loyal to GMC and their local dealers. Good buyer/demographic to have. Yeah it moves a lot to younger soccer moms too, but as a whole it’s in a much more interesting market position IMO than the Ford Expedition, Lincoln Navigator, or Cadillac Escalade. It’s astounding how wide of a market net GMC can cast with the Yukon and Yukon Denali. It’s a huge success and I doubt we see GM risk screwing it up. The Suburban does very well too, but in a different way.
Buick was (at least in the 1990s) the brand that attracted older folks more likely to pay cash than almost any other brand. It still blows my mind that Buick stopped making the big sedans these buyers loved. They may not have been super high volume or super modern, but it attracted the type of buyer with real balance sheet wealth, didn’t feel the need to show off, took care of their vehicles, and were very loyal to their local dealerships. GM handing Buick off to China and focusing on smaller, cheaper crossovers kind of ruined that. I think those buyers migrated to Lexus, Toyota, and Acura for sedans and GMC, Chevy, and Ford for SUVs.
The Ford Flex had a similarly unique demographic for Ford. It wasn’t super popular, but it attracted many well off buyers that would never otherwise consider Ford. I’d have kept it around for that reason since it could potentially translate into enhancing the brand to an audience were it struggled. They accidentally build something that drew those customers in. Some of them might trade their Flex in one day for an Explorer – but more likely they will just go back to Volvo, Acura, or try out a Tesla.
Yeah , buy a Black Escalade ESV and look like you’re either a Funeral Home director or a Drug Dealer. LOL !
Or The Secret Service.
That grill is worse than previous one. Just put the new interior in it, add a few new colors and call it a day.
That probably would work but remember that Ford is introducing a new Expedition. It’s not like the Sequioa or Wagoneer/Grand Wagoneer that are competitors but not really good ones. The Expedition is a real competitor even if Ford is in a distant second place in full sized SUV sales.
So GMC will obviously try to keep the Yukon as fresh as possible. Obviously more effort is going into the interior where the Yukon can showcase a lot of new tech and keep up with the trends, but a mild update for an already attractive exterior design makes sense to me. They seem to know what they are doing on the Yukon.
I quite like the update. Especially the AT4 model.
Did I ask?
A face only a mother can love. Ugh. Maybe they moved the lights down to not blind oncoming traffic but that new look is hideous. I think the Expedition will make more sales this year forsure.
This is one of a handful of markets where GM knows their customers and their dealers very well.
Any update they make is likely very well studied and derived from direct feedback from buyers and dealers. Likely the same buyers and dealers that demanded that more driver aids and the Diesel engine e be made available in the AT4 models and that more features be included in the infotainment screen.
If Mary Barra is so proud of her new lower case “gm” logo, how come they haven’t slapped it on the front of their new gmc?
calm down lol…. it isn’t that deep 😂
IMO the Suburban looks much better and has a better front end design. Ron.
I agree that the Suburban is a better look. But the Yukon AT4 looks really good too. I think I prefer the interior of the Chevy though.
I haven’t seen a new SLT trim level Yukon. That one is pretty commonly optioned up with features standard in Denali but without the chrome or branding. It’s a solid value if you are careful with the options.
Have a 2023, (5th one), will not get another one until the displacement on demand is deleted, ( a throwback to the
V8-6-4 ). Newer technology but the same crap, all to save
1 MPG on the highway, I for one don’t care for it, modern day vehicles should average 200k over their lifetime, and that is impossible with this on them without an engine replacement.
It looks good overall, but I just can’t stand that exhaust tip.
Agree. Bring back the quad tips!
The only thing I like more than my 2021 Yukon Denali is the the nameplate on the back, but I prefer my chrome grill, headlights and fog lights, and my touch screen, I am not a fan of the huge screen.
Oh forgot to add too, I like my chrome exhaust tips on each side, not the “built in” ones shown, looks kind of dumb.
😉
The Denali logo being so large on the back is a little odd to me. Don’t hate it. Just think it’s weird.
I wasn’t sure how GM could mess up the great front end of the existing Yukon, but they sure succeeded with this new one. Looks like a weird bug or something. And I don’t understand GM’s obsession with using the smallest headlights ever in their designs.
They should’ve left it alone. It will be a new platform come 2028. Should’ve just redid the dashboard. I live in Oakland county Mi & have seen a few CTF driving around. The back looks mismatched, the bottom looks cheap & the front lights look fugly. It’s too much plastic for a 100k SUV.
Black can be hard to photograph.
Security is an issue in big cities. If you display conspicuous wealth you get followed home from Whole Foods and robbed. If you valet a high end car the valet has a deal with a gang and hands then your keys . If you have a high end pickup you get your windows broken scrounging for guns they assume you have. A Yukon or Suburban you fly under the radar. Stick on a fake Uber/Lyft/airport limo sticker on the bumper you are invisible to specialized pro theft gangs. Back to an average person risk of crime which is still too high.
At least a half hour required to clean the grill.
When is Barra retiring?
Whenever they promote me
GM has totally destroyed their brand, in my opinion. They are streamlining all their vehicles so they look all just alike. There’s no difference anymore. Let start with the steering wheels of the vehicles. All of the steering wheels of the Chevrolet vehicles are just alike. From the basic chevy Trax to the 100k Chevy Tahoe, they are basically the same thing with only MINOR changes. Same with GM models. Getting to the design, all chevy models have that same front end light casing, with that same day time running light design all the way across even to their electric chevy truck. You used to have exciting different interior designs on every vehicle, like KIA does now on their vehicles and Hyundai. Big manufacturers, not just GM but Honda and Toyota are moving in that direction where the front end design is just the same, the interior are just alike, the steering wheel are all the same. The creativity has gone away. If you buy 20k GM car, you get the same design inside and out of the 100k Tahoe. The ride will be different and you will have more amenities, but you get the same. Car markers want you to pay the same price and it doesn’t make sense 😕. If you’re going to have the same design in every vehicle on the inside and outside, the price should be at an even 50k. If there is not going to be any creativity going into each model to make it unique, then it shouldn’t cost more than the basic model even if it’s the bigger model. I love the Tahoe and Yukon, but the new ones coming out doesn’t deserve the price. This pass generation of the Tahoe and Yukon had different steering wheels, different interiors and you actually felt like you were in a different vehicle. From this point on, GM is making there cars so much alike, they are not worth paying the high prices for them. Look closely at how to they are looking more and more alike. You might be very surprised 😮!