General Motors New Zealand has confirmed a braked tow rating of 3628kg for the forthcoming GMC Yukon Denali, a figure which it claims puts the 3-row, 8-seat SUV into "a class of its own": the highest capacity of any SUV sold in NZ or Australia.
Impressive, given the Yukon outdoes not just SUVs but also the top tier of 1-tonne utes, most of which can haul 3500kg. The Denali should have adequate pulling power for that kind of load, too: it boasts a 6.2-litre petrol V8 with 313kW/624Nm. But remember to bring the fuel card.
If you're really serious about towing that much, you'll probably know this already: but even with no extra load on board, the 2.6-tonne Yukon Denali plus 3.6t on the towbar means you're already over the 6t Gross Combined Mass (GCM) allowed under a car licence. So don't just bring the fuel card... bring your truck licence.
Due in NZ this quarter, the monster Yukon will be priced at $184,990 for the single high-specification Denali.
The V8 features Dynamic Fuel Management pairing with a 10-speed automatic transmission. Under light loads and conditions, the system can deactivate four cylinders to save fuel.
The Active Response 4WD system has an electronic limited-slip differential and a two-speed transfer case with 2WD high, 4WD auto, 4WD high and 4WD low.
It rides on 24-inch machined and painted Pearl Nickel wheels and wears "lashings of chrome" (GM's words!). and its distinctive LED lighting.
It's big: 5337mm in length, 2058mm in width (without mirrors), 1943mm high and with a 3071mm wheelbase.
The cabin has Denali-exclusive "Fractal" stitching on the seats, which are heated and ventilated for the driver and front passenger (heated in second row), wood trim and a panoramic power sunroof with sunshade.
The GMC Premium Infotainment System runs through a 16.8-inch touch screen, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, paired with a Bose 14-speaker surround sound system.
The rear-seat entertainment system has dual 12.6in colour-touch LCD HD rear screens.