2023 GMC Yukon Interior and Cargo

The base SLE comes with cloth seating upholstery in a choice of Jet Black or Dark Walnut/Slate. A wrapped steering wheel is standard. Spending a bit more on the SLT introduces perforated leather upholstery in the same color choices, while the AT4 is limited to Jet Black perforated leather. The Denali is a significant step up in terms of its overall material quality. This model comes with perforated leather upholstery in Very Dark Ash Gray with Dark Walnut interior decor, Jet Black leather with Jet Black decor color themes, or Light Shale leather with Teak interior decor. It feels special, but it must be said that the Yukon models don't feel dramatically higher in quality than the cheaper Chevy Tahoe. Even the new Denali Ultimate trim fails to address that with its Alpine Umber full-grain leather upholstery, since all the other interior trim items stay the same.

Many three-row SUVs have a small trunk space left when the third row is in use, but the GMC Yukon is a vehicle where this isn't a concern. Even with all the seats up, the cargo area measures 25.5 cubic feet in size. Even the largest sedans can't match that, and it's enough to accommodate around six carry-on suitcases - and better than the 19.3 cu-ft the Ford Expedition can manage. Lower trims have a manual 60/40-split-folding third row, whereas the top three trims have a power-folding third row. When this row is folded, cargo space expands to a generous 72.6 cubes. With both the second and third rows folded, the Yukon's cargo area measures a massive 122.9 cubes.

Interior storage space is equally generous. There's a large front center console with a removable organizer tray and cupholders. In the Denali, a power-sliding center console is standard. There are tiered door pockets, seatback map pockets for second-row occupants, and cupholders for both second- and third-row occupants.

Although some driver-assist features have questionably been relegated to the options list, the new GMC Yukon SUV is generally well-equipped. The base SLE has a ten-way power driver's seat, but it's lost its eight-way power front passenger seat this year, reverting to manual adjustment. These seats are also not heated. Tri-zone automatic climate control is standard, as well as a 12-inch digital gauge cluster, 12- and 120-volt power outlets, basic cruise control, forward-collision alert with pedestrian detection and braking, front/rear parking sensors, and an HD rearview camera. The SLT adds heating and ventilation for both front seats, an auto-dimming interior rearview mirror, lane-change alert with side blind-zone alert, rear cross-traffic alert, wireless charging, and a universal home remote.

The AT4 and Denali are a substantial step up from the previous two trims. They both add a heated steering wheel, heated second-row outboard seats, a driver's seat memory setting, a power-folding third row, and a power steering column. The Denali adds the convenience of a 15-inch color head-up display for the driver, as well as an HD surround-view system. Power-release second-row bucket seats, a power-sliding center console, and rear pedestrian alert are equipped to the Denali. It's a pity, though, that even this expensive model doesn't come with standard adaptive cruise control, although both that and Super Cruise are optionally available. Finally, the top-of-the-range Denali Ultimate clearly has premium German SUVs in its sights. Trim-specific features include a panoramic power sunroof, 16-way power front seats, adaptive cruise control, an 18-speaker Bose audio system, and a rear-seat media system with dual 12.6-inch touchscreens, Wi-Fi wireless projection, and two HDMI ports.

The Yukon comes standard with a 12-inch digital gauge cluster and a new infotainment system developed in partnership with Google. Like most GM vehicles, the Yukon's 10.2-inch infotainment system is, for the most part, easy to use, though we prefer the Uconnect system in Stellantis vehicles because of its simpler user interface. We also appreciated the Wi-Fi hotspot and standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. If your smartphone has the capability, there's also a wireless charging pad.

Sound on the base model is channeled through a standard six-speaker setup, while a nine-speaker Bose audio system is standard on SLT and AT4 models. The Denali gets a premium 14-speaker sound system from Bose and the Denali Ultimate, an 19-speaker Bose setup. A rear-seat media system can be optioned on to the top four trims and includes dual 12.6-inch touchscreens that feature tilting and screen-sharing capabilities.