Announcement of 2025 Stateside enhancements point to likely choices coming to NZ next year.

POTENTIAL of any semblance of electric assistance ever coming to the Yukon, an XXL-sized eight-seat premium GMC sports utility here next year, seems slim.

But the family is ramping up effort with other giant models that could also have international context in time.

This suggestion comes from a senior General Motors engineer involved in a electronic meet up with New Zealand and Australian media to relate more about the 2025 Yukon ahead of a full technical spec announcement out of Detroit overnight.

A huge slump in electric vehicle sales this year raises a big questions about potential NZ interest in the mega-sized battery vehicles General Motors is developing under its blue collar GMC brand anyway.

Certainly, General Motors Speciality Vehicles appears to be feeling no pangs of environmental regret in determining this station wagon version of the Chevrolet Silverado already here will release in 2025 with purely big gulping fossil-fuel dependent powertrains to give giving rivals such as the Nissan Patrol and Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series a run for their money.

Intent is to source Yukon as GMSV does Silverado - as a left hand drive car out of a plant in North America that will come to NZ via Australia, having being re-built there in right-hand-drive to factory standard by Walkinshaw Automotive Group.

The incoming edition of the long-serving model is to 2025 specification, which revealed yesterday. 

This brings major technology upgrades, a refreshed cabin and some exterior styling revisions; also big news in North America and likely to be relevant here are fresh and highly affluent Denali Ultimate and AT4 Ultimate trim presentations. 

No prices have been shared yet.

A communique confidently titled ‘Made to Reign’ suggests Yukon’s engine choices might pare down to a 6.2 litre petrol V8 making 313kW and 642Nm torque and a 3.0-litre Duramax turbodiesel engine knocking out 207kW and 624Nm. It has also formatted with a 265kW/519Nm 5.2 litre petrol V8.

The diesel which appears set to restrict to the AT4 derivative unsurprisingly has more range and better cited consumption, though exactly how well it will do on localised WLTP testing has yet to be shared.

Regardless of engine specification, Yukon has a 10-speed auto transmission with standard rear wheel drive, optional selectable 4WD. A Max Trailering Package provides a towing capacity of up to 3800kg.

It’s going to be an imposing sight; bigger in every dimension than the sector-dominating 300 Series.  

The Denali edition comes out at 5179mm long, 2045mm wide, and up to 1958mm high, rolling on a 2946mm wheelbase.

Yukon being part of the local GMSV line-up was confirmed last November, and in April GMSV acknowledged disguised examples were field testing in Australia.

Even though it could well become most favoured as a road-bound land yacht with big lugging potential, the model seems to have good off-road credentials. The Yukon has hill descent control, hill start assist, magnetic ride control and air suspension.

A full suite of Advanced Driver Assist Systems (ADAS) will also arrive.

The interior is typically American in ambience and features, with loads of leather.

Today’s announcement said technology for 2025 models will include a high-definition 360-degree camera, 18-speaker Bose premium audio system, 10.2-inch infotainment touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Amazon Alexa and enabled Google.

The cabin redesign brings a new centrepiece -  a 16.8-inch-diagonal Premium GMC Infotainment ‘Center4’ with a vertical interface, which allows users to customise the integration of maps, audio inputs, vehicle diagnostics and more into a diagonal screen display. 

The addition of an available 8-inch-diagonal rear climate control touchscreen also helps ensure a comfortable cabin environment for passengers.

The 2025 exterior look brings new grille patterns, liftgate badging, animated headlamps and tail lamps, and an available panoramic sunroof delivers an open-air cabin experience.

Dreamily Ultimate is the dream boat edition. It runs on eight-spoke 24-inch rims, has 16-way powered heated and ventilated massaging front seats and captain’s chairs  in the second row– a first for the GMC lineup - and adopts a 22-speaker audio and wood features in the interior.

The AT4 goes for a more outdoorsy theme, with 20-inch wheels and all-terrain tyres, a front skid plate and ‘air ride’ adaptive suspension can raise the vehicle up to 5cm to improve ground clearance when off-road. 

Off-road geometry sees the current-spec Yukon offer between 203mm and 254mm ground clearance, between 24.5 and 34.5 degrees of approach angle, between 18.5 and 22.0 degrees of breakover angle, and between 20.5 and 22.5 degrees of departure angle. Water fording is listed at 815mm.

While AT4 seems best suited for dirty work, it’s also fully leathered and achieves wood decor.

Media here were briefed about Yukon on July 30, with that information embargoed until now.

That discussion also touched upon GMC’s battery electric vehicle planning; comment sought in light of the maker having just confirmed it had rolled back investment across several BEVs in response to a drop in consumer interest in the US.

However, the maker of the Sierra EV Denali, Hummer EV pick-up and Hummer EV SUV also reiterated that the long-term forecast remains optimistic. 

GMC and Buick executive director of communications Sean Poppitt said the brand is enjoying strengthening sales across every market in which it competes. 

“I couldn’t talk about GMC without talking about our electric future as well.”

While  GM was not making any announcements about vehicles coming to Australasia, “it (electrification) is really a key part of GMC and how we’re going to go forward,” he told e-meeting. 

“The Hummer, we’re seeing more momentum with that every month as production continues to ensure every month is a new record. Sierra EV is just about to start rolling out of our Factory Zero. 

“So, pretty soon, we’ll have three EV trucks on the road here in the US and some select international markets as well.” 

At same token, Poppitt said, internal combustion vehicle sales were opening new opportunities for electric vehicle sales in both new and established GMC markets.  

He has suggested those models had the potential to generate interest in BEV variants down the track. 

“This is a real growth opportunity for GMC, where we can take the strength in our ICE vehicles – be those trucks or be those SUVs – and grow them with new customers, new opportunities into the EV space as well,” according to comment reported by the GoAuto website. 

GM has announced intent to expand its hybrid and plug-in hybrid portfolio and an announcement is expected soon, but whether the largest models - which are also the most well-established - might achieve that technology lift has not been made clear.