2023 GMC Yukon XL Interior and Cargo

Only the entry-level SLE trim gets cloth upholstery, with a choice between Jet Black cloth or Dark Walnut/Slate. The SLT trim upgrades the seat upholstery to perforated leather, again available with either Jet Black or Dark Walnut/Slate. All GMC Yukon XL models with the latter seat colors also receive Dark Walnut trim on the dashboard and upper door cards. The AT4 trim only comes with the Jet Black perforated leather, but adds light brown inserts and seat piping to liven up the interior just a bit.

Near the top of the range, the Denali trim can also be had with Jet Black perforated leather, but buyers can have Very Dark Ash Gray with Dark Walnut interior decor or Light Shale with Teak interior accents as no-cost options. Included from this trim level are open-pore wood trim inserts in the dashboard, on the center console, and on the door cards. The Light Shale/Teak combination looks particularly good, but isn't ideal for those with smaller kids.

Opting for the top-end Denali Ultimate nets you Alpine Umber full-grain leather seating, with these premium materials extending to the armrests as well. It only comes with the black dash top, but the overall effect inside is upmarket and borders on a full-on premium feel.

The main motivation for choosing a GMC Yukon XL over the regular-length model is to get the most possible cargo space, and the XL certainly doesn't disappoint in this area. Even with all three seating rows in use, there's a cavernous 41.5 cubic feet available in the luggage compartment. Fold away the back row, and 93.8 cubes become available. Keep only the front seats in use, and a truly massive 144.7 cu.ft is opened up.

It's very practical, too, with a huge loading aperture revealed by a massive liftgate, powered from SLT trim upwards, and the cargo box is 49.4-inches wide between the wheel housings. That's more than enough trunk volume for a stack of 4 x 8 plywood sheets, so the Yukon XL could be a plush substitute for a truck, if need be. The cargo area's sides are also lined with durable dark plastic, so scuff marks shouldn't show up too easily.

Interior stowage space is also generous, with apertures under the middle seating rows, large stowage boxes in the dash and center console, sunglass holders in front, and more cup holders than seats

Considering its role as a comfortable family car, the Yukon XL is fairly well-equipped even in entry-level trim. Base features across the range include a 12-inch digital instrument cluster, wif-fi hotspot capability through OnStar, three-zone climate control, keyless entry with remote start, cruise control, four USB ports, and the GMC Pro Safety driver-assistance suite, which includes lane-keeping assist with lane-departure warning, automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, and front pedestrian braking. Front and rear park assist is standard, but only the two Denali models get a head-up display as standard.

Moving up through the trims sees the addition of more power adjustment to the front seats, heating and ventilation for the front perches, heating for seats in the second row, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, a heated steering wheel, wireless device charging, power release for the second row to fold, and more safety features. These include lane-change alert with side blind-zone alert, and rear cross-traffic alert. The top-end model gets adaptive cruise control as standard and a bunch of trailering tech. Optional features include the brand's Super Cruise drive assistance tech and a surround-view monitor.

All GMC Yukon XL variants receive a 10.2-inch diagonal GMC Premium touchscreen infotainment display with built-in Google functionality. This system incorporates XM Radio capability, Bluetooth connectivity, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and voice control for compatible phones.

In the SLE trim, this setup fronts a six-speaker audio system, which gets upgraded to a nine-speaker Bose system for SLT and AT4 trims. The Denali specification gets a further improvement with a 14-speaker Bose setup with surround sound and CenterPoint digital signal processing, while the Denali Ultimate upgrades to a Bose Performance Series system with 18 speakers. A rear-seat entertainment system is available from the SLT, and includes two 12.6-inch diagonal HD screens on the front seat backs with two wireless headphones, two rear HDMI ports, and Bluetooth compatibility; this is standard equipment on the Denali Ultimate.