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GMC Denali peaks as luxury edition of big Yukon 4-door wagon
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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MOUNTAINAIRE, Ariz. -- Heading north out of Sedona, route 89 runs up Oak Creek Canyon toward Flagstaff until butting against bluffs of the Mogollon Rim, a sheer escarpment stretching for hundreds of miles across Arizona.
A ribbon of asphalt threads like a twisted serpent up those cliffs, scaling thousands of vertical feet in a course littered with tricky chicanes and blind hairpin curves.
Drive this road on a Saturday in July and your progress will be impeded by a slow line of tourists stacking up behind humongous recreational vehicles, with drivers intimidated by their closeness to so many cliffs.
Drive it early on an autumn weekday morning when the tourists have gone home and you'll be alone to play.
A recent romp up the cliffs of Oak Creek Canyon turned into an exercise in sure-footed but plush motoring, with driver and passenger ensconced in a deluxe new edition of the full-size Yukon sport-utility wagon from GMC Truck.
Dubbed Denali -- a name drawn from native Alaskan Athabascan people to describe "the High One" of Mt. McKinley, tallest peak on the continent -- this sport-ute represents the top of the Yukon line in a leather-trimmed environment charged with overwhelming horsepower.
Denali stands out with sophisticated monochromatic dark color scheme on an exterior form accented by bold front hood with rectangular center port grille and flanking jewel-like lenses of sparkling halogen headlamps.
It rides high on special Firestone 16-inch tires and carries front tow hooks and plenty of protective cladding around the lower body, plus side integrated body-color running boards and, at the rear, a functional step bumper which hides a trailer hitch.
And beneath that muscular hood Denali conceals a V8 powerplant which twitches with the strength of 255 horses to charge a hill route like the bluffs of Oak Creek Canyon.
An electronic powertrain control module regulates fuel injection, with micro-adjustments of the mixture of air and fuel. This means instantaneous compensation for stressful effects such as altitude, like my Denali faced in climbing Arizona cliffs, as well as load. The result: Continual, dependable power flow.
The iron-block 5.7-liter Vortec engine also provides serious muscle for towing a trailer's load. When coupled at the towing hitch, Denali can lug a trailer rig weighing up to 6,500 pounds.
Denali's plant mates with a 4-speed automatic transmission which modulates shift points to enhance torque in lower gears.
For ultimate traction, it also packs a 4-wheel-drive system which operates with push-button ease.
Essentially, the wagon functions with rear-wheel traction for typical pavement applications. However, a new automatic transfer case -- called ActiveTrac -- positions 4-wheel-drive mode in stand-by readiness, thanks to a dashboard toggle switch. On-board sensors can detect wheel slippage, and when road conditions become slick with rain or snow the system automatically switches from rear-drive to 4-wheel-drive mode to ensure proper traction.
In addition, you can punch up a low-gear setting of the 4-wheel-drive mode for venturing off-road into more rugged terrain where steady low-end torque helps carry Denali over rocks, roots, bumps and bulges.
The wagon feels rock-solid to drive.
Its ladder-type chassis uses welded crossbars and a boxed front for increased rigidity in motion.
The platform supports a fully independent front suspension and rear semi-eliptical multi-leaf spring. Tack on variable-ratio power steering and power brakes tied to the 4-wheel anti-lock system and Denali ends up with important ingredients for smooth maneuvers either on pavement or off-road.
From driver's vantage behind the wheel, it stands tall and rides high, so you can peer above other vehicles.
And the interior, laced with ultimate luxury features, provides plenty of space for riders and gear.
To find Denali's position in the GMC lineup of SUV wagons, understand that it spins off the full-size Yukon 4-door wagon and measures more than the compact wagon, Jimmy, but not quite as much as gigantic Suburban. Denali's 117.5-inch wheelbase, six inches longer than the 2-door Yukon, exceeds Jimmy's 4-door wheelbase by ten inches yet still falls 14 inches short of massive Suburban.
Park Denali next to Suburban and you will be pressed to tell them apart, since both exhibit a similar form from front bumper through the B pillar. Beyond the front seatback, however, Suburban gets extra room to add a third tier of seats so it can carry up to nine people, while Denali maximizes with five riders due to front bucket seats.
Detect differences by comparing the second set of doors on each side: Suburban's rear door edge forms a straight line from top to bottom and fits in front of the rear wheelwell, while the door of Denali has a notch near the bottom to tuck around that arched well.
Also, this wagon will fit neatly into a home garage, while Suburban cannot due to its extra length.
Recent tests of the 4-door Yukon Denali included a day's drive from Sedona to Las Vegas, Nev., following canyon routes, multi-lane interstate links across the upper plateau and one long and straight speed shot through the high desert on old Route 66 from Seligman to Peach Springs.
These tests revealed that Denali rides smoothly on the open road and maneuvers easily in traffic, despite that massive size, and it stocks enough luxury items to make one feel like you're riding in some fancy sedan.
Denali contains a number of favored features as standard equipment, such a power windows and door locks, leather-wrapped steering wheel, cruise control, tilting steering wheel, and soft leather seat upholstery with decorative interior touches of glossy Zebrano wood trim.
It also applies a premium entertainment package of Bose stereo in 6-speaker package with 6-disc CD changer.
Further, GM's PassLock theft deterrent system is on-board, as is the optional OnStar communication system which uses global positioning satellites to track the vehicle. Tied to a hands-free cellular phone, OnStar can dispatch emergency services or through connection to an operator guide a lost driver to a desired destination.
1998 GMC YUKON DENALI WAGON
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| Vehicle Specifications: |
| 1998 GMC DENALI Specs |
| Description: |
Full-size 4-door wagon |
| Model Options: |
Full-size 4-door wagon |
| Wheelbase: |
117.5 inches |
| Overall Length: |
201.5 inches
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| Engine Size: |
OHV 5.7-L V8
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| Transmission: |
Auto/4 |
| Drive: |
ActiveTrac 4x4 |
| Braking: |
Power disc/drum/ABS |
| Airbags: |
2 |
| Price: |
$ 35,900 to $ 39,000 |
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