All-new 2021 SUV launches this summer; GMC adds adventure-ready AT4 version - Chron.com

The 2021 GMC Yukon AT4’s optional four-corner air ride suspension can provide an additional 2 inches of ground clearance when driving off road. The AT4 is expected to land at dealers late this summer.

The 2021 GMC Yukon AT4’s optional four-corner air ride suspension can provide an additional 2 inches of ground clearance when driving off road. The AT4 is expected to land at dealers late this summer.
Photo: GMC

Photo: GMC

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The 2021 GMC Yukon AT4’s optional four-corner air ride suspension can provide an additional 2 inches of ground clearance when driving off road. The AT4 is expected to land at dealers late this summer.

Photo: GMC

Forgive the mashed burger metaphors, but the GMC Yukon is just too juicy a target.

The current 17-foot-long Yukon is a whopper. The supersized Yukon XL is a foot and a half longer still. The SUVs are certified gold. When it comes to profits, it’s a McFeast for the “professional grade” brand — in the decade just ended, GMC sold 698,110 Yukons.

Driven in no small part by the bling of the top-of-the-line Denali trim, which GMC has taken to calling Denali a “sub-brand,” the Yukon enjoys a certain cachet with a fairly wide demographic.

So any way you cut it, the all-new 2021 Yukon that arrives this summer is a big deal. (One clue: GM invested $20 million to prep for the changeover and upgrade its Arlington assembly plant. The 5.75-million-square-foot facility is where all Yukons are produced — along with the Chevy Tahoe and Suburban, and Cadillac Escalade.)

Let’s take a closer look at the fifth-generation GMC Yukon and Yukon XL.

The styling is romanced, but the 2021 Yukons are still big, handsome boxes on wheels. But they’re cleverer boxes. The new platform’s DNA includes a wheelbase mutation: the standard Yukon’s wheelbase now stretches 120.9 inches, 4.9 inches longer than the outgoing 2020. The Yukon XL’s wheelbase measures 134.1 inches, a 4.1 inch increase. The changes improve convenience and comfort for rear passengers, particularly those in that last row; GMC said they will have 34.9 inches of legroom, a whopping gain of 10.1 inches. (See more key differences in the specifications table.)

Passenger and cargo packaging benefit from the 2021 Yukon’s new frame and the long overdue switch to independent rear suspension. (Car and Driver dives into the platform’s underpinnings, including visuals, at bit.ly/2021-GM-IRS) The cargo area behind the third-row seats, now with a flatter floor, has a volume of 25.5 cu. ft., 50% more than the 2020s.

On the flip side, the 2021 Yukon spans 210 inches bumper-to-bumper, a half-foot longer. The Yukon XL’s overall length grows just 0.9 inches, to 225.2 inches, meaning that unless you have close to 20 feet to spare in your garage, your 2021 Yukon XL will probably be berthed outside. Finding satisfactory parking spaces and maneuvering to occupy them could be recurring themes.

The Yukon and Yukon XL lineup expands for 2021, with a new outdoors-oriented trim called AT4 joining the SLE, SLT and Denali models.

The Denali debuted in 1999 and has been a hit. GMC said that about 60% of Yukon buyers pop for the Denali, which start at just under $70,000 for the current 2020 model. (MSRPs for 2021s will come later, GMC said.) The Denali’s signature chrome grille is bigger and will feature more than 10,000 light-catching surfaces. Buyers also get Denali-specific LED lighting, high-definition “surround vision” camera, 15-inch color head-up display and rear pedestrian alert.

For 2021, Denali models get their own interior, an all-new instrument panel and Denali-exclusive seats. Buyers select one of four interior color themes, with each featuring genuine wood trim. Leather surfaces are cut and stitched by hand. Options include a panoramic sunroof and 22-inch wheels.

The new Yukon AT4, meanwhile, is the model overlanders — or those who want many of the features of the Denali but can do without the bling — will go for. The AT4 comes with 20-inch Goodyear all-terrain tires, selective traction system with off-road setting, hill descent, strategically mounted skid plates, and leather seating and stitching exclusive to the AT4. Creature comforts like heated steering wheel and heated and ventilated front seats and heated second-row outboard seats are also included.

The 2021 Yukon’s new optional four-corner air ride adaptive suspension can lift the Yukon for an additional 2 inches of ground clearance. At full height, the Yukon AT4 has an approach angle of nearly 32 degrees.

At highway speeds, the system automatically lowers the Yukon’s ride height 0.75 inch for better aerodynamics and fuel efficiency. The driver can also lower a parked Yukon a couple of inches to ease passengers getting into or out of the SUV. The handy self-leveling feature helps with comfort and control, particularly when the vehicle is loaded with cargo or hooked to a trailer. The air ride suspension is also available on the Denali.

The 4WD Yukons have an automatic two-speed transfer case, traction select, chassis controls and an electronic limited-slip differential. GMC said the Yukon’s new multilink independent rear suspension will deliver a ride more often associated with smaller vehicles. The Denali’s magnetic ride control enhances body control and handling by reacting more quickly than traditional shock absorbers. That helps reduce bouncing, body roll and vibrations.

A new option on the SLT, AT4 and Denali grades is a powered sliding center console. The main storage console between the driver and passenger seats can slide back 10 inches, allowing easy access to additional storage space that’s large enough to accommodate a purse or bag. There’s also a hidden drawer underneath the console’s main storage bin.

Under the hood on all trims, except the Denali, is the latest version of GM’s 5.3-liter V8. (Specs weren’t revealed but the same engine produces 355 horsepower and 383 lb.-ft. of torque in its platform twin, the 2021 Chevy Tahoe.) The Denali packs a 6.2-liter V8 rated at 420 horsepower and 460 lb.-ft. of torque. The more powerful 6.2 is available at extra cost with the AT4. Both V8s are equipped with stop/start and a fuel-saving cylinder deactivation system that lets the engine operate on two to eight cylinders, depending on conditions and demand.

New for 2021 is an available 3.0-liter turbo-diesel inline six rated at 277 horsepower and a healthy 460 lb.-ft. of torque, the same twist as the 6.2-liter V8. All 2021 Yukons get the 10-speed automatic transmission that had been exclusive to the Denali.

Details such as MSRPs, fuel economy and tow ratings will be announced closer to the 2021 Yukon’s launch this summer, a GMC spokesperson said. The Yukon and Yukon XL with the Duramax turbo-diesel are likely to score the highest EPA fuel economy ratings.

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