2026 GMC Yukon Denali Ultimate Review

This week I have the 2026 GMC Yukon Denali Ultimate 4WD, and if there is such a thing as a GMC that is knocking hard on the door of Cadillac Escalade territory, this is it.

The Yukon received its major refresh for 2025, so there is not a dramatic redesign for 2026. That is fine with me because GMC got this SUV right last year. My tester is the regular-length Yukon, not the extended Yukon XL, and it comes in beautiful Glacier White Tricoat with an incredible Woodland Mahogany full-grain leather interior.

Exterior

Starting outside, the Yukon Denali Ultimate continues to have that big, bold, squared-off GMC look. The Glacier White paint works particularly well with the dark chrome trim and massive Denali grille.

The stars of the exterior for me are the standard 24-inch selective-machined aluminum wheels finished in After Midnight Metallic. They fill the wheel wells perfectly and are fitted with 285/40R24 tires. GMC also gives the Ultimate power-retractable assist steps, which are almost mandatory considering the size and height of this SUV.

Up front are the distinctive C-shaped LED running lights surrounding the vertically stacked headlights. The Denali-specific grille is huge without being obnoxious, the GMC lettering is prominent, and from the side the chrome strip along the lower doors breaks up what is otherwise a massive amount of white sheet metal.

At the rear you get the roof spoiler with the wiper nicely tucked underneath it, tall LED taillights and dual exhaust. Overall, I think the Yukon remains one of the best-looking large SUVs on the road, and these 24-inch wheels make it even better. You know me: bigger wheels are almost always better.

Performance

Under the hood is GM's terrific 6.2-liter EcoTec3 V8 producing 420-horses and 460-pound feet of torque. It is hooked to a 10-speed automatic transmission with a 3.23 rear axle ratio. This is a true four-wheel-drive system, not simply all-wheel drive, and it includes an electronic two-speed transfer case. GMC also equips the Denali Ultimate with Magnetic Ride Control and the four-corner Air Ride Adaptive Suspension.

The big V8 is one of my favorite things about this Yukon. There is simply no substitute for the effortless feel of a large-displacement naturally aspirated V8 in an SUV this size. There is plenty of power from a dead stop, passing power is excellent and the 10-speed automatic does its job quietly without constantly hunting for gears. I like the rumble you get from this engine, it’s music to my ears.

You can still opt for the 3.0-liter Duramax turbo-diesel, which makes 305-horses and an impressive 495-pound feet of torque. I love that diesel, too, particularly for people who drive a lot of highway miles or want to try to go 350,000 miles, but there is something very satisfying about this 6.2 V8.

Interior

Open the door and this is where Denali Ultimate really earns its name.

The Woodland Mahogany interior is spectacular. You get full-grain leather, beautiful stitching, authentic wood trim and Denali-specific detailing. The front seats are wide, extremely comfortable, heated and ventilated, and both are 16-way power with massage.

The Bose speakers built into the head restraints immediately get your attention. With the Executive Second Row Seating Package on this tester, the normal 18-speaker Bose system becomes a 22-speaker Bose Performance Series CenterPoint system, including stainless-steel Bose speakers in the front and second-row head restraints. Trust me, you can crank this baby up!

The dashboard design is clean for something with this much technology. There is no console shifter taking up valuable space; the electronic gear selector is mounted on the steering column. Materials throughout the cabin are what you should expect in a vehicle north of $100,000, and I particularly like the combination of dark brown leather, contrasting stitching and wood.

The panoramic roof makes an already huge cabin feel even larger when open and it has a power sliding cover for those hot days.

Driver Gauge Cluster

Directly in front of the driver is an 11-inch digital Driver Information Center. It is colorful, sharp and highly configurable, and you can control the information displayed through the steering wheel controls.

You can display your trip information, audio, navigation, engine information and other vehicle data, and road-sign recognition puts the current speed limit right in front of you. My favorite layout continues to be the large digital speedometer and tachometer with supplemental information on either side.

Then GMC adds a large 15-inch color head-up display that projects speed, navigation and other information onto the windshield. Between the instrument panel and HUD, you rarely need to take your eyes very far from the road.

Center Screen

In the middle of the dash is the excellent and HUGE 16.8-inch vertical touchscreen. This was one of the biggest improvements made to the Yukon with the 2025 refresh and it carries over for 2026.

It includes Google built-in, navigation, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, vehicle settings, climate functions, cameras, Wi-Fi, audio and the trailering system. The graphics are sharp, response time is quick, and you can rearrange many of the icons to suit yourself.

I especially like the dedicated trailering pages. You can create and save individual trailer profiles, import trailer information through the myGMC app, or simply use a guest trailer. The large screen also makes the surround-view camera system extremely useful when maneuvering something this big.

Thankfully, GMC did not eliminate every physical control. There is still a real volume knob and a row of easy-to-use switches below the screen.

Center Console

The power-sliding center console remains one of the coolest features on the Yukon.

Hold a button and the entire console will move rearward up to 10 inches, making the rear cupholders easier for second-row passengers to reach and exposing hidden storage for the front occupants. Slide it forward again and that storage disappears from sight.

It is one of those features you may initially think is gimmicky until you actually use it.

Drive Modes

The Traction Select system allows you to change the Yukon's personality depending on what you are doing. Modes include Normal, Sport, Snow/Ice, Off-Road and Tow/Haul, with additional settings available depending on conditions and the 4WD system.

Tow/Haul changes transmission behavior for pulling a trailer, while Sport holds gears longer and sharpens responses. The four-wheel-drive controls are conveniently located to the left of the steering wheel.

Second Row

Here is where this particular Yukon separates itself from the one I reviewed last year.

My tester has the $3,995 Executive Second Row Seating Package, and these are not ordinary captain's chairs. They are 14-way power seats with heating, ventilation, lumbar adjustments and massage. There are individual armrests, and the Bose speakers are built directly into the head restraints. GMC essentially turned the second row into a pair of first-class airline seats.

Rear passengers also get their own touchscreen climate-control panel, USB connections and dual HDMI inputs.

On the backs of the front seats are two 12.6-inch HD rear-entertainment screens. They can display different content, connect to outside devices and use Bluetooth headphones, which should drastically reduce the number of times you hear, "Are we there yet?"

Third Row And Cargo

Getting into the third row is relatively easy considering the size of the vehicle. The second-row seats can be powered forward to open a pathway, and the large rear doors help.

This Yukon seats seven with the Executive captain's chairs. The third row is legitimately usable for adults, not simply a place to sentence people you don't particularly like.

Cargo room is another Yukon strong point. You have 25.5 cubic feet behind the third row, 72.5 cubic feet behind the second row and 122.8 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. The regular Yukon has enough room for most families without requiring you to move up to the substantially longer Yukon XL.

There are power controls in the cargo area to lower the rear seats, and underneath the vehicle is a full-sized spare tire.

Standard Features

As you would expect at this price, standard equipment is extensive. Among the highlights are the panoramic power sunroof, power-retractable running boards, heated power tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, wireless phone charging, Rear Camera Mirror, 15-inch head-up display, 16.8-inch infotainment system, 24-inch wheels, rear-seat entertainment, power-sliding center console, hands-free power liftgate and Super Cruise with three years of the OnStar One plan.

Super Cruise remains one of my favorite hands-free driving systems. On compatible roads, it takes over steering while maintaining speed and following distance, while a driver-monitoring camera makes sure you remain attentive. The system greatly reduces fatigue on long highway trips without pretending the driver has been relieved of responsibility.

Safety

GMC says the Yukon comes with more than 17 standard safety and driver-assistance features. On this Denali Ultimate that includes Enhanced Automatic Emergency Braking, Forward Collision Alert, Front Pedestrian and Bicyclist Braking, Rear Cross Traffic Braking, Reverse Automatic Braking, blind-zone assistance, Rear Pedestrian Alert, HD Surround Vision with recording capability and an Advanced Security Package.

There is also one oddity on the Monroney that is worth pointing out.

Night Vision is shown on the window sticker at no charge, but directly below it the sticker clearly states: NOT EQUIPPED WITH NIGHT VISION. This is not a misprint. GMC says that beginning with June 2026 production, certain Yukons ordered with the Executive Second Row Seating Package are being built without Night Vision.

That's unfortunate. I liked Night Vision on the 2025 Yukon I reviewed, and frankly, at this price I'd like to have both the Executive seats and Night Vision.

Options

There are surprisingly few extra-cost options because Denali Ultimate already includes so much.

The Executive Second Row Seating Package is $3,995 and Glacier White Tricoat is $1,095. The Enhanced Trailering Technology Package is included at no additional charge and gives you trailer-camera provisions and trailering-assist guidelines.

Total factory options are $5,090. Add those to the $103,900 base price and $2,745 destination charge and the bottom line on the Monroney is $111,735.

Ride And Drive

This may be the most impressive part of the Yukon Denali Ultimate.

You would think putting 24-inch wheels and relatively low-profile tires on a body-on-frame SUV this large would result in a punishing ride, but it doesn't. Magnetic Ride Control continuously reacts to what is happening underneath the vehicle while the Air Ride Adaptive Suspension does an exceptional job of smoothing out bumps.

It is remarkably quiet inside, highway manners are excellent and the Yukon feels smaller from behind the wheel than its dimensions suggest. Steering is light but predictable and body motions are extremely well controlled for a vehicle this tall and heavy.

The air suspension can also raise the vehicle when additional ground clearance is needed and lower it to make getting in and out easier.

Then there is the 6.2 V8. Put your foot in it and you are quickly reminded that 420-horses still matter, even when they have roughly three tons of luxury SUV to move.

Verdict

I really liked the 2025 Yukon Denali Ultimate, and a year later I still do. The basic formula has not changed, but the Executive Second Row Seating Package takes the luxury level up another notch.

At $111,735, nobody is going to call this inexpensive. On the other hand, compare it with a similarly equipped Cadillac Escalade and the Yukon begins to look considerably more reasonable.

Fuel economy is the price you pay for the big V8 and this much vehicle: the EPA rates it at 14 MPG city, 18 highway and 16 combined.

This is a terrific road-trip vehicle, a legitimate tow vehicle, and a very luxurious family SUV all wrapped into one. And if your kids complain about riding in those massaging, heated and cooled Executive second-row seats with their own Bose speakers and 12.6-inch TVs, I suggest making them walk.